Coco Gauff continued her quest for a maiden French Open title with a battling, error-strewn win over fellow American Madison Keys.
Australian Open champion Keys claimed the first set on a tie-break before Gauff responded to win 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-1.
The scoreline only told a portion of the story, especially over the course of the opening two sets where two of the best players in the world appeared to be grappling more with themselves than one another.
But Gauff settled into a smooth rhythm during the decider and ran away with it, breaking Keys three times to book a semifinal against either teenage sixth seed Mirra Andreeva or home hope Lois Boisson.
Madison Keys vs. Coco Gauff final score
| Set | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Keys (7) | 7 (8) | 4 | 1 |
| Coco Gauff (2) | 6 (6) | 6 | 6 |
Under a closed roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Keys brought her typically aggressive approach on the forehand to bear during the opener and had two points for 5-1.
Gauff scrambled to get a break back and won the next four games to take control of the set. Keys was able to hang on and make it to the tie-break. The 21-year-old saved a first set point with an immaculate backhand slice.
The fact she immediately…
