Caroline Garcia tops Coco Gauff in U.S. Open quarterfinals

NEW YORK — Caroline Garcia never really let Coco Gauff — or the crowd — get fully involved in their U.S. Open quarterfinal Tuesday night.

From early on, Garcia played high-stakes tennis and put strokes where she wanted, sometimes right at Gauff’s feet, sometimes well out of reach. In contrast to the early success Gauff, still just 18, has experienced, it’s been a long journey for Garcia, who now gets to play in the first Grand Slam semifinal of her career at age 28.

The 17th-seeded Garcia took charge at the start and never relented in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 12th-seeded Gauff at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I just go for my shots,” Garcia said, “even when I’m stressed.”

She had lost both of her two previous matches against Gauff, who was the runner-up at the French Open in June, but Garcia was by far the better player this time.

Garcia, who is from France, hasn’t ceded a set at Flushing Meadows so far this year and stretched her winning streak to 13 matches overall, solidifying her status as someone playing as well as anyone in women’s tennis at the moment.

She finished last season ranked 74th but is projected to rise into the top 10 next week.

“The last couple of months.” Garcia said, “I feel healthy again.”

She will face Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur of Tunisia on Thursday with a berth in the final at stake.

“I’m looking forward to the next challenge and what I can achieve,” Garcia said.

Jabeur advanced to her first semifinal in New York with a 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over the player who beat Serena Williams in the third round, Ajla Tomljanovic.

Jabeur is the first woman representing an African nation to get to the final four of the U.S. Open during the professional era, which began in 1968.

“Just trying to do my job and, hopefully, I inspire more and more generations from Africa,” Jabeur said. “It really means a lot to me.”

She said her run to the title match at the All England Club allowed her to “believe more in myself” and realize, “I had it in me that I can win a Grand Slam.”