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The existence of Justin Bieber in the stands at the U.S. Open on Friday night assisted influence Coco Gauff in her third-round win over Elise Mertens.
Speaking to ESPN after the success (h/t Issy Ronald of CNN.com), Gauff described seeing the vocalist on the videoboard triggered her to bear down.
” I certainly saw who existed,” she stated. “I believed, ‘I can not lose in front of Justin Bieber.’ I didn’t lose a video game after I saw that.”
Gauff left to a rough start in the match. Mertens took the very first set 6-3 and had an opportunity to take control of the 2nd set when it was connected 3-3, however Gauff had the ability to hold serve en path to winning the last 3 video games to require a definitive 3rd set.
The 19- year-old eliminated any drama by winning all 6 video games in the 3rd set to reach the 4th round for the 2nd straight year.
” I was certainly star-struck with Justin,” Gauff stated after the win. “‘ Never Say Never’ was … among my preferred tunes when I was a kid. ‘Baby, Oh, Baby.’ I might go through all his tunes. Hailey, too, coming. I think it was a little date night for them, which was actually cool.”
Bieber wasn’t the only noteworthy name in presence. Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, whose design of play has actually functioned as an motivation for Gauff, was sitting behind Justin and Hailey Bieber.
Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama viewed Gauff’s first-round match versus Laura Siegemund.
Next up for Gauff is a face-off versus two-time U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday.
