ATL Natives Ben Shelton, Coco Gauff Historically Advance In US Open

FLUSHING, NY — Atlanta will have two natives in the US Open semifinals as both Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton are set to make their first appearances at the end of the week.

Gauff, 19, advanced Tuesday night after defeating opponent Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2, in the quarterfinals held at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York.

The Associated Press reported Gauff is now "the first American teenager to reach the final four at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams in 2001."

“Even though (by) the semifinals, (in) theory, if you want to win, there’s two matches left, you can’t think like that,” Gauff told The Associated Press. “I’m still in the mindset that I’m in the beginning of the tournament. That’s what I have learned in the past (from) being in quarterfinals: Before, I would think, ‘Close to the end.’ But right now, I have the mentality that I told myself, ‘I still have another two weeks to play.’ So that’s where my mind is at. Then, obviously when it’s over, it’s over. But right now, I’m just saying, ‘Another two weeks.’”

Shelton, 20, outplayed Frances Tiafoe with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 victory.

“It was a hot one in here, wasn’t it?,” Shelton said in his on-court interview after the win, as reported by the US Open. “I felt like I left it all out here tonight.”

The women's semifinals will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday while the men's semifinals will be held at 3 p.m. Friday.

Read more via The Associated Press and The US Open.