Coco Gauff, a 19-year-old American who has had an excellent summer season, will tackle Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia within the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

The two have played twice earlier than, with Ostapenko profitable their most up-to-date encounter, on the Australian Open in January. Ostapenko beat Gauff in straight units in a fourth-round match. But of their first assembly, in 2019, Gauff defeated Ostapenko in three units within the closing of the Linz Open in Austria.

Gauff, who’s seeded sixth, has the benefit of enjoying in her residence nation’s Grand Slam event and the added confidence from profitable the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and the Western & Southern Open in Ohio previously month. But Ostapenko, seeded twentieth, can be on a tear: She eradicated Iga Swiatek, the defending champion and world No. 1, on Sunday evening.

Here’s what to know concerning the match.

How did they get right here?

Gauff defeated Laura Siegemund, a tough participant from Germany, within the first spherical. Siegemund hit slices and drop photographs, catching Gauff on her again foot, and gained the primary set. But Gauff gained the match in three units after enjoying extra aggressively.

Gauff additionally defeated Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old from Russia; Elise Mertens of Belgium; and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who not too long ago returned to skilled tennis after retiring in 2020.

Ostapenko notably defeated Swiatek, who will lose her No. 1 rating on the finish of the Open, in a fourth-round match. Ostapenko is likely one of the few gamers who’ve beaten Swiatek constantly. Her win on Sunday was the fourth in a row towards her.

On her solution to the quarterfinals, Ostapenko additionally defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy, Elina Avanesyan of Russia and Bernarda Pera, who was born in Croatia however represents the United States. Each of these matches went three units.

Beware of Ostapenko’s aggression.

Ostapenko’s aggressive recreation is constructed on enjoying quick and with plenty of energy. She credited that enjoying type for her capacity to constantly defeat Swiatek, who appreciates having extra time to arrange her factors.

Sometimes that aggressive recreation works towards her, and he or she racks up unforced errors. She had 20 unforced errors within the match towards Swiatek. Gauff acknowledges that. On Sunday, she referred to as Ostapenko a “striker,” however “hot or cold, to be honest.”

For Ostapenko’s half, she’s attempting to be extra selective of when she goes for her photographs.

Keep an eye fixed on Gauff’s web recreation.

Gauff, who is likely one of the quickest gamers on the tour, isn’t any stranger to highly effective photographs, being able to trace down balls and to hit them again with the identical energy, or extra. Gauff responds properly to highly effective photographs from the baseline, ready till she has a gap to hurry the online and put away factors with overheads, swing volleys and volleys.

Gauff serves with precision, at instances making it tough for her opponents to place their rackets on the ball to return it properly, as spectators noticed in Gauff’s fourth-round match towards Wozniacki.

But it’s well-known that Gauff’s forehand has been her weaker shot, and whereas she has been working laborious to enhance it with her new coach, Brad Gilbert, if an opponent can power errors on that wing, it will probably make a win for Gauff that rather more tough.

Gauff has been right here earlier than.

This is Gauff’s second time within the quarterfinals on the U.S. Open. She additionally made them final yr, when she was defeated in straight units by Caroline Garcia of France.

While that is additionally the second time Ostapenko has been within the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, she made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this yr and has made deeper runs in different Grand Slam tournaments. She was a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 2018 and gained the 2017 French Open.

There is pleasure for the American women and men proper now, and the gang might be in Gauff’s nook. At least one American man will make it to the semifinals this yr as a result of Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are enjoying one another in one of many quarterfinals. Taylor Fritz, who’s enjoying Novak Djokovic, might make it two.

“It’s nice to just see the competitiveness between the countrymen and us all doing well,” Gauff stated in an interview on Sunday. “It’s just really exciting tennis for America. I hope that fans are excited.”

Sorana Cirstea or Karolina Muchova await.

The winner of the match will play Thirtieth-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania or Tenth-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, who’re additionally enjoying on Tuesday.