For the first time in her career, San Diegan CoCo Vandeweghe is headed to the third round of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in New York.
The No. 20 seed Vandeweghe, 25, fought off unseeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, 7-6(6), 6-2, to advance in her home turf. Vandeweghe was born in New York and her grandfather, Ernie. and uncle, Kiki, played for the New York Knicks.
“As I said in the on-court interview, it’s hard to beat a New York crowd when they’re for you,” she said. “To be out there on Ashe and feel the energy, the vibe of it, was a lot of fun. I had fun out there playing, competing. I think it definitely showed to everyone.”
In their previous meeting, Jabeur beat Vandeweghe in the 2013 Challenger event in Canada. This season proved to be a breakthrough season for Jabeur, who recently was able to crack the top 100 ranking for the first time.
Vandeweghe, however, is also on the rise and is having the season of her career. This season, she’s reached the Australian Open semis and the Wimbledon quarterfinals (the second time in her career). Last month, she had a run to the finals of the Bank of West Classic.
The next round of the U.S. Open will be a tough one for Vandeweghe. She’s facing No. 10 seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who’s beaten her in five of their six previous meetings on hard courts.
