NEW YORK: Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu met US teen sensation Coco Gauff for the first time Saturday while practicing at the US Open and took confidence a new generation’s time has come. “I told her congrats on all the success,” Andreescu said. “Keep killing it. NextGen is here.” The 19-year-old from Toronto ousted 2018 Australian Open champion and two-time US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4, extending the 15th seed’s deepest Grand Slam run.
“I’m really, really pumped,” she said. Gauff, only 15, reached the last 16 at Wimbledon and booked a third-round showdown with top-ranked defending champion Naomi Osaka in New York while Andreescu won titles at Toronto and Indian Wells this season. “You see a lot of young players doing really well right now and I think it’s really good for the game,” said Andreescu.
“You see many fresh faces and I think we’re only going to get better from here.” Andreescu is 30-4 despite a shoulder injury that sidelined her most of the past five months. But she hasn’t lost a completed match since March. “I don’t feel like I’ve lost a match,” she said. “It feels pretty good, because you never know what can happen in a match. I’m trying not to take anything for granted right now. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. “My two (titles) before this tournament are giving me a lot of confidence.” – AFP
