"I also cannot believe" - Marta Kostyuk's coach reacts as underwhelming display gifts Coco Gauff victory

Things did not go brilliantly for Marta Kostyuk in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals. She managed to pick up just four games in a lacklustre display against Coco Gauff who sailed clear to win 6-2, 6-2.

It was the first meeting between the pair for over a year, and a lot had changed since that Kostyuk win in Qatar. The Ukrainian was now on another level in terms of her tennis with a number of deep runs behind her, including this one in Cincinnati which had the potential to become even better.

It would not as Gauff showed her class to reach a third consecutive WTA 1000 semi-final. Following the back of that Wimbledon run where she missed a match point to reach the final, the 22-year-old is finding her best game once more and has been one of the standout players so far in the North American hardcourt swing.

This continued with a dominant win over Kostyuk as she looks to repeat the success she had in Ohio back in 2023.

It may have only been the second game but Kostyuk was in a spot of bother. After a comfortable hold from the two-time Grand Slam champion to get the ball rolling, Kostyuk was forced to deuce on her own serve by her own doing. She would be very much under the cosh after a clumsy double fault gifted her opponent the first break point of the match.

Her coach, Sandra Zaniewska, offered some guidance on the side of the court, but even her was stunned by what was a second consecutive double fault. "I also cannot believe," she called out from the Kostyuk box with a smile on her face. Gauff could not take the first break point, but managed to break soon after.

In truth, the Kostyuk serve was vulnerable all match. It must have been a relief for Gauff not to be the one everyone was talking about serve trouble with her in a precarious position this time last year. Kostyuk hit eight double faults in eight service games played, finding just 46% of her first serves go in while winning just 22% of her second serve points.

Gauff's second serve points won were also a little low with 45%, but it was the first serve points that really had her in command. This is a positive area of her game when she gets it right. While the second serve can be attacked, her first serve offers a lot of trouble for her opponent, and last night showed as she won 78% of them.

Enroute to a 4-1 lead, Gauff served out three games while dropping four points as Kostyuk was forced to save another break point. It would get worse as the former winner went 5-1 to the good and had the chance to serve it out. Kostyuk finally mustered up a response only for Gauff to break right back with a second set point to take a sturdy lead.

The second set soon got out of hand for the Madrid Open champion. Gauff quickly sprinted into a 3-0 lead before a long game against the serve also went her way. Kostyuk had been forced to defend a break point in every game that she served in, and it was really starting to bug her.

Not being able to rebuff these efforts, she threw her racket to the ground in disgust with some force behind it, realising that she was in a dire situation.

One of the breaks were taken back as Kostyuk closed in at 4-2. From that point on, Gauff was not in the mood to play around. She won eight of the next nine points, breaking to love to end another satisfactory performance in Cincinnati as she blasts into the semi-finals.

There is still positives to take for Kostyuk from this run. It is a third WTA 1000 quarter-final in 2026 and a first in Cincinnati. For Gauff, she has only reached the semi-finals in Cincinnati on one previous occasion, and she won the title. She will be hopeful of repeating that again with Sara Bejlek her opponent in the last-four.