Coco Gauff advanced to the semifinals of the Eastbourne International on Thursday, defeating her doubles partner Jessica Pegula. The beginning of play at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament was delayed due to rain, but Gauff wasted no time in defeating third-seeded Pegula 6-3, 6-3 in an all-American match.
The tournament’s highest-ranked player is the 19-year-old fifth seed. Gauff will face fellow countrywoman Madison Keys next. Gauff will compete in his third semifinal of the year, following appearances in Auckland and Dubai.
Keys won 5 games in a straight in the quarterfinals, defeating Croatian lucky loser Petra Martic 6-4, 6-1.
Caroline Garcia, the second seed, retired due to a right shoulder injury while trailing Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 2-1. In the semifinals, Kasatkina will face Camila Giorgi. The Italian also benefited from a retirement, as Birmingham champion Jelena Ostapenko retired after losing the first set 7-6 (8).
In the men’s draw, fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina defeated China’s Zhizhen Zhang 6-2, 6-3 to earn his first grass-court semifinal game.
American Mackenzie McDonald, who defeated Swede Mikael Ymer 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, will face Cerundolo in the semifinals.
Gregoire Barrere will face Tommy Paul in the other semifinal. Paul defeated fellow American JJ Wolf in an exciting three-set match, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2), while Frenchman Barrere defeated eighth-seeded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 7-6 (2).