Nine years after making her debut at Flushing Meadows, Coco Vandeweghe has reached the second week of the US Open for the first time in her career.
The American 20th seed engaged in a marathon roller coaster encounter against Agnieszka Radwanska, prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. It was as much of a mental test for both players as well as a physical one with constant changes of momentum throughout.
“Aga is a really difficult player to play against.” Admitted Vandeweghe, “All credit to her, she puts you in a lot of uncomfortable situations, makes you play a lot of extra balls and can definitely get frustrating.”
“I just tried to stay focused, regroup, go back to my routines and try again the next point.” She added.
Set one perfectly illustrated the storyline of the match. Radwanska, nicknamed ‘the magician’ for her shot-making, roared to a 3-0 lead, before the home favourite clawed her way back into the set. Then it was Vandeweghe’s turn to wobble. Serving at 5-4, a trio of set points came and went before the Polish tenth seed broke back to draw level at 5-5. Vandeweghe eventually came out on top with the help of a Radwanska error, but the match was far from sealed.
Heading into the match, Radwanska had previously defeated her American opponent five times on a hardcourt. All of which were in straight sets. Engaged in a battle of nerves, the former Wimbledon finalist secured a breakthrough during the final stages of the second set. Vendeweghe’s tentative serve got punished when a deep Radwanska shot secured her first break of the match and subsequently the second set.
With little to distinguish between the two, consistency became the achilles heel of both. Radwanska was bidding for a place in the second week of the tournament during what has been a lacklustre year for her. Meanwhile, Vandeweghe was entering uncharted territory at the New York major.
Exchanging breaks almost customary during the decider, it was evident how much the win meant for Vandeweghe. The 25-year-old was not shy to show her emotions, receiving a warning to racket abuse after one point. Eventually, it was Vandeweghe’s relentless hitting the got her over the finish line. Breaking for a 4-3 lead, she moved to a game away from the win with the help of an error from her rival. Spurred on by the crowd inside the Arthur Ashe stadium, the victory was sealed with the help of a backhand touching the line.
Saturday’s triumph was achieved with the help of four aces and 49 winners. The American will next play Lucie Safarova, who breezed past Kurumi Nara 6-3, 6-2.
