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Marta Kostyuk is looking forward to her 2024 Australian Open quarterfinal clash with Coco Gauff.
Kostyuk beat the likes of Claire Liu, Elise Mertens, and Elina Avanesyan to reach the fourth round in Melbourne, where she registered an emphatic win against qualifier Maria Timofeeva to reach the quarterfinals.
Gauff, on the other hand, has made a perfect start to the 2024 season. She won the ASB Classic title in Auckland, losing just one set along the way — in the final against Elina Svitolina.
At the Melbourne Major, she is yet to drop a set, registering four consecutive straight-set wins to reach the quarterfinals for the first time at the season-opening Grand Slam.
With Kostyuk set to face Gauff next, she praised the American, saying that she is currently in a very good run on the tour.
"She's young, but very experienced because she just has been for so long around. She's a tough competitor. She runs. She has very fast serve, especially first. Very solid backhand. She's coming out from the title in Auckland beating Elina in the final. Definitely she's in good shape, I would say," she said at a press conference.
The Ukrainian also said that she will go into the match with Gauff under very little pressure and is hoping to play an aggressive brand of tennis and enjoy the occasion.
"It will be exciting. I have nothing to lose really. I'm in my first quarterfinal. She's a top-5 player. I just want to go out there and really play aggressive. Yeah, and just enjoy still having this journey," she added.
Coco Gauff beat Marta Kostyuk in their sole meeting on the WTA tour in Adelaide
Coco Gauff and Marta Kostyuk have faced each other once before, in the second round of the 2022 Adelaide International.
Gauff broke early to go 4-1 up in the opening set before wrapping it up to take the lead. Kostyuk fought back in the following set, going ahead 5-3 before wasting three set points, allowing the American to draw level at 5-5.
The Ukrainian, though, won the next two points to take the match into a decider, where a decisive break in the seventh game saw Gauff take charge of the contest. She managed to hold her nerves to win the match 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Gauff later made a semifinal exit at the tournament, losing to eventual champion Madison Keys in the semifinals.
