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Coco Gauff reached the second Grand Slam final of her career by beating Karolina Muchova in straight sets at the US Open. The American marched to a 6-4, 7-5 win to advance to the final, where she will face incoming world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The 19-year-old channeled Kobe Bryant’s Mamba mentality by citing his iconic quote “Job's not finished”.
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In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers went 2-0 up on the Orlando Magic, and the series seemed to be done, but the late NBA legend, Bryant sat with a cold face in his press conference and bluntly said: "Job's not finished.” Gauff is now one win away from making history and becoming a Grand Slam winner, but she also highlighted that the job is not finished.
"Thank you so much, guys. Some of those points, it was so loud. I don’t know if my ears are gonna be okay. But be even louder. I grew up watching this tournament. It means a lot to be in the final. The job is not done," Gauff said in her on-court interview.
Gauff gave an example of Bryant’s mentality even after going ahead and citing the NBA Finals when they had a 3-1 lead in the series. She said, “He gives himself a pat on the back. But time to move on. That’s the mentality I have. I’m trying to enjoy the moment. But also knowing I still have more work to do. The final is an incredible achievement. But it’s something I’m not satisfied with yet.”
Gauff has won 18 of her last 19 matches, as she won the Citi DC Open and the Cincinnati Masters titles. Her run of form came after a disappointing Wimbledon campaign, where she lost in the opening round against former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin. The teen will have a tough matchup against the top ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Sunday, September 10.