Coco Gauff defeats Cristina Bucsa to reach US Open fourth round

Coco Gauff defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the fourth round of the US Open for the fifth consecutive year.

The American, ranked No. 4 in the world, needed 1 hour and 28 minutes to beat Bucsa, the world No. 40. She will face either fellow American Iva Jovic or the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala in the next round.

Bucsa made an early push, breaking Gauff for a 2-1 lead in the first set. Gauff responded with two breaks of her own to take the opening set. Every one of Bucsa’s service games in that set reached deuce.

Gauff converted two breaks in the second set and conceded only one. She won the final two games of the match to complete the victory. During the match, she said she had struggled to find her rhythm because Bucsa could alternately speed up and slow down the pace.

Gauff, who won the US Open in 2023, is 22 years old and continues her run through the tournament’s second week.

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When I found myself a break down, I told myself I had to accelerate my shots. Bucsa is a difficult player because sometimes she can speed up the pace and at other times slow it down, so it was hard for me to find my rhythm.