Coco Gauff Makes History Against Iga Swiatek

Coco Gauff has continued her ascent into the elite of women's tennis today by delivering another mesmerising victory over fellow competitor Iga Swiatek in the United Cup. The win came during the semifinals of the United Cup in Sydney, where Gauff became the first player ever to defeat the former world's number 1 four times in a row in straight sets. 

Gauff swept Swiatek aside, winning 6-4, 6-2 to put her team in good stead before the US was finally pipped to the final by their Polish counterparts. This dominance by Gauff is completely unprecedented and redefines what has now become one of the WTA Tour’s fiercest rivalries. The Polish team will now go on to compete against the Swiss in the United Cup final, but the odds are quite literally stacked against them. Bookies have the Swiss down as favourites to beat the Polish team at 8/15. For those looking to place a bet, no verification betting sites allow bettors to make quick and anonymous wagers on wide markets, including the outcome of the United Cup. 

For years, it has seemed that Swiatek has been leagues above Gauff. The early careers of both saw Swiatek brush Gauff aside easily and dominate in head-to-head stats. This led to a dominant record against Gauff that was characterised by the Pole's baseline consistency. Yet, it seems the tide has turned. Gauff has now shown that she consistently has the beating of Swiatek, and the power has shifted dramatically in the American’s favour. 

Victories at the Madrid Open and WTA Finals have combined in this record, which seems to have followed a similar path; Gauff dictating the play with solid serving and a no-tolerance attitude to passive play. From the opening game in Sydney, this seemed to remain the same. Gauff set the tone and broke serve early. Her quick play and depth allowed her to combat Swiatek's aggressive play. Gauff seems to have worked on her forehand, and her serve is continually improving to become an important asset in the Americans' arsenal. In contrast, Swiatek seemed to struggle to find any real rhythm in the match as she committed an unusual amount of unforced errors. Gauff has now clawed the record back to 5-11.  

It appears that Gauff now believes she is among the elite and backs herself much more than she has previously. Unfortunately, her team did not have enough to get across the line and make it to the final of the United Cup, failing to beat the Polish team in the mixed doubles. 

Gauff, who is still only 21 years old, continues to build on her resume with Grand Slam and championship success, along with this incredible feat against one of the players of her generation. For Swiatek, this is yet another reminder that, despite her status in women's tennis, she now has a rival who can disrupt her play and undo her rhythm, which will concern her moving forward. 

As the two get set for the Australian Open major, they will surely have this in their minds. But for now, Swiatek will go on to face Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in Sydney. Bencic has won all 8 of her matches so far and comes into the tie as the favourite with a lot of confidence behind her. In the men's, Hubert Hurkacz faces off against Stan Wawrinka, before they all play in the mixed doubles final, should it be a tie. The final is set between the two. This is due to be a really tight match-up that will likely go to the mixed doubles face-off between the teams for their chance at glory. 

Poland has been here before, losing out both times in the recent past. However, for Switzerland, this is their first time at a championship game, which will bring with it some extra nerves in the camp.