Coco Gauff gets to the semifinals in Auckland with a glowing performance

World No.3 Coco Gauff continued her title defense at the ASB Classic, needing just 53 minutes to defeat Varvara Gracheva 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The reigning US Open champion extended her win streak in Auckland to eight matches and has not dropped a set during that span.

Bidding to make her first final of the new season, Gauff will face compatriot and No.4 seed Emma Navarro in the semifinals on Saturday. No.31 Navarro advanced to her first semifinal since 2023 in San Diego by defeating Petra Martic 6-4, 6-3.

Ranked No.41, Gracheva was playing her first hard-court quarterfinals since making the final in Austin last March.

After breaking Gracheva in her first service game to build a 3-0 lead, Gauff raced through the opening set in 33 minutes. The 19-year-old American put on an all-court masterclass as she blunted Gracheva from the baseline and cleaned up clinically in the forecourt.

 "I thought I served well, probably the best so far this tournament," Gauff said, "which was something I was working hard on in the off-season."

With two more breaks of serve early in the second set, Gauff continued her efficient march towards the finish line. After building a 4-0 lead, she closed the match three games later as the Frenchwoman's forehand continued to miss its mark.

Gauff's efficiency bore out in the statistics. She served at 72 percent and struck five aces while hitting 13 winners to 11 unforced errors. She did not face a break point and converted five of her seven break points to notch her third win of the year.