Coco Gauff and Iva Jovic have both secured their places in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Gauff came through a tough three-set match against Karolina Muchova, while Jovic kept her unbeaten run going with a straight-sets win over Yulia Puntinseva.
Next up for Jovic is world number one Aryna Sabalenka, and Gauff will face either Elina Svitolina or Mirra Andreeva.
Jovic will be taking on world number one Aryna Sabalenka, while Gauff waits to play the winner between Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva.
Coco Gauff says she’s reached out to Iva Jovic while on tour
Gauff burst onto the scene when she was just 15, and now, she keeps an eye on how other teenage players are adjusting to life on tour.
Asked if she feels like a veteran these days, Gauff said: “She’s the age of my little brother. I do feel older than them. That’s for sure.
“I don’t feel the exact same, but I don’t feel as old as people make it seem. I have talked to Iva a couple of times. I have never talked to her about advice or anything. I feel like she has such a good head on her shoulders. I don’t think she needs that.”
Gauff added that her own experiences starting out shaped how she approaches younger players now.
“Yeah, I always make a conscious effort, even though I didn’t know her that well, but in Cincinnati, I tried to talk to her.
“Just a conscious effort of talking to the younger players because I remember when I was younger, some players just — would say mean, but it was stand-offish and it was a different world than what I was used to in juniors.”
If both come through their quarter-finals unscathed then fans will be treated with Gauff vs Jovic for the first time ever with an Australian Open Final at stake.
Gauff and Jovic follow in Serena and Venus Williams’ footsteps at the Australian Open
Madison Keys’ match against Jessica Pegula will be followed by Gauff and Jovic as part of three Americans in the quarter-finals.
The duo have matched a feat not seen since Venus and Serena Williams, becoming the first Americans under 22 to make the Australian Open quarter-finals since them.
The sisters achieved this at Roland Garros back in 2002, and that tournament ended up being significant for both of them.
That year, both made it to the final, with Serena coming out on top to claim the title.
A semi-final clash between Gauff and Jovic could be on the cards this time. While only one can advance to the final, both will be looking to build on what’s already been a memorable tournament run.
- READ MORE: Iva Jovic matches 28-year-old Venus Williams record with Australian Open quarter-final Berth
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