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A8 SPORTS
Wednesday 22 January 2025

Coco Gauff says she has more work to do after losing at the

Australian Open. Djokovic beats Alcaraz

By HOWARD FENDRICH Relying on a new doctor,
AP Tennis Writer fitness coach and nutrition-
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ist, Badosa tried different
— Coco Gauff’s retooled exercises and supplements,
forehand and serve aban- and her back improved.
doned her in the worst way “The puzzle,” she said,
and at the worst time at the “started to look better.”
Australian Open. The un- On Tuesday, she kept the
forced errors just kept ac- pressure on Gauff, who
cumulating Tuesday, and finished with 41 unforced
so did the double-faults errors, including six dou-
and break points, often fol- ble-faults and 28 missed
lowed by a palm placed forehands. Badosa com-
over her eyes or a slap to a piled 10 break points and
thigh. won four of Gauff’s service
Add it all up, and Gauff’s games.
trip to Melbourne Park Gauff, meanwhile, never
and her 13-match winning earned so much as a sin-
streak that dated to late gle break point until after
last season ended in the already down a set and a
quarterfinals. break.
Never able to take control One key game and one
on a hot afternoon in Rod that illustrated Gauff’s
Laver Arena, the 2023 U.S. problems on this afternoon
Open champion was elimi- started the second set. It
nated by No. 11 Paula Ba- Paula Badosa of Spain reacts after winning her quarterfinal match against Coco Gauff of the U.S. lasted 22 points spread
at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.
dosa of Spain 7-5, 6-4. Associated Press over more than a doz-
Using tweaks to some key en minutes, and Badosa
strokes, and a change to converted her fifth break
her coaching team after The American entered I (fought) through all that, time finalist at other majors, chance after Gauff missed
a disappointing end to her Tuesday with a 9-0 record in especially mentally.” on Friday. two forehands in a row.
title defense in New York 2025; she also won her last In Thursday’s semifinals, she Zverev got to the final four Of Badosa’s 12 points in
in September, the 20-year- four matches of last season will go up against her close in Melbourne for the third that game, 11 came via
old Gauff arrived in Austra- to collect the trophy at the friend, No. 1 Aryna Sabalen- time since 2020 by beating mistakes by Gauff, includ-
lia with hopes of earning a WTA Finals in November. ka, the two-time defending No. 12 Tommy Paul 7-6 (1), ing seven errant forehands.
second Grand Slam title. “Just a lot more work to champion in Melbourne. 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. Paul was “Today,” Gauff said, “she
“I feel like (at the) U.S. do,” Gauff said after the Sabalenka stretched her one point from taking the did better in those key mo-
Open, I was playing with 1-hour, 43-minute loss to winning streak in the tour- first set, then a point from ments.”
no solution, so that was Badosa, who had been 0-2 nament to 19 matches by taking the second, but When Badosa ended the
more the frustrating part. in Grand Slam quarterfinals. getting past No. 27 Anas- couldn’t close the deal, quarterfinal with a fore-
Today, I feel like I’m play- “I’m obviously disappoint- tasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, and Zverev was simply su- hand winner, she placed
ing with solutions; I know ed, but I’m not completely 2-6, 6-3. perior in the ensuing tie- her hand over her mouth,
what I need to work on. U.S. crushed.” Novak Djokovic reached breakers. then knelt on the ground
Open, I needed to work on Badosa now heads to her his 50th Grand Slam semifi- Badosa was hurt during a and bowed her head.
my serve. first Grand Slam semifinal nal as he pursues a record practice at the tournament This was a big moment for
Not saying that my serve is at age 27 and less than a 25th trophy at a major, get- in Rome in May 2023, short- someone who reached a
where I want it to be, but I year after she was contem- ting past Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, ly after she began working career-best ranking of No.
worked on it; obviously, a plating retirement because 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 across more with coach Pol Toledo. A 2 in 2022, but only now be-
big improvement. So I want of a stress fracture in her than 3 1/2 hours in a match year later, including several lieves she’s reached her full
to continue working on back that took what felt that ended at nearly 1 a.m. months off the tour, there potential.
that, continue working on like forever to heal and did Djokovic took a medical still were issues. “Emotionally, I wanted it so
playing aggressive,” Gauff not initially respond to corti- timeout late in the first set “The reality is that the back much,” Badosa said. “I’m
said. sone injections. to get his left leg taped but was not responding. We never going to feel free-
“So I feel like I’m on the “I wanted to (give) it a later said he eventually felt couldn’t find a solution. dom until I win the tourna-
road to the right way, right last try,” Badosa said, better thanks to pills he was Paula was frustrated,” To- ment.
path,” she said. “Even “Well, here I am. So I’m given by the tournament ledo said. I’m always like this. It’s
though I lost today, I feel really proud of what we doctor. “I was like: This is not work- my personality. It’s my
like I’m in an upward tra- went through with all my Djokovic will now face No. ing. I don’t know what we character.”q
jectory.” team and especially how 2 Alexander Zverev, a two- have to do.”