Coco On The Cusp

09/06/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Good Morning

Today’s mid-week edition is short and sweet. If you’re wondering why, look no further than tomorrow’s main event — the NFL Season Primer. Get Week 1 started off right by playing our NFL Pick ‘Em Contest. Who knows? You might win some cash.

In Today’s Edition

Coco Gauff’s Coming Out Party
New CFB Poll
Jose Altuve’s Home-Run Hat Trick
Team USA Advances to the FIBA Semis
Breanna Stewart Makes WNBA History
NFL Kickoff Eve Storylines

Letter Rip!

US OPEN

Coco on the Cusp

*Photo: Tim Clayton-Corbis / Getty Images*

19-Year-Old Phenom #6 Coco Gauff Becomes 1st American Teenager to Reach US Open Semifinals Since Serena Williams (2001)

New York, get ready! Just one year ago, American tennis star Serena Williams played her final match at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the 2022 U.S. Open. In her absence, a new teenager has won the hearts of American tennis fans. No, Coco Gauff is not (yet) Serena Williams, but she’s not wasting time pretending to be. And the first slam of a soon-to-be iconic career is within reach. The 19-year-old Gauff overcame two first-set comebacks early in the 2023 U.S. Open, but she’s starting to find a groove, and she’s making history in the process.

Tuesday’s quarterfinal clash with #20 Jelena Ostapenko was a blistering display of dominance — 6-0, 6-2 with four aces and a streak of seven straight games. The New York crowd, as they have all tournament, leaned heavily toward the teenage phenom. And with only two other top-10 seeds remaining in the women’s draw, it’s Coco-mania in NYC. The torch has been passed. The shoes of Serena won’t be easily filled, but the Coco hype is growing fast.

Coco Gauff is the first American teenager to reach the U.S. Open Semifinals since Serena Williams (2001).

Women’s Singles Highlights

#6 C. Gauff def. #20 J. Ostapenko (6-0, 6-2)

#10 K. Muchova def. #30 S. Cirstea (6-0, 6-3)

Men’s Singles Highlights

#2 N. Djokovic def. #9 T. Fritz (6-1, 6-4, 6-4)

B. Shelton def. #10 F. Tiafoe (6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2)

Today’s Schedule (Quarterfinals)

M: #3 D. Medvedev vs. #8 A. Rublev (1:15 pm ET)

M: #1 C. Alcaraz vs. #12 A. Zverev (8:15 pm ET)
W: #2 A. Sabalenka vs. #23 Q. Zheng (12:00 pm ET)

W: #9 M. Vondrousova vs. #17 M. Keys (7:00 pm ET)

Women’s Semifinals: Thursday (Sept. 7)

Men’s Semifinals: Friday (Sept. 8)

AP: American Ben Shelton Becomes Youngest American in US Open Semifinals Since 1992, Gets Djokovic Next

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CFB

Poll Shift: A Fresh AP Top-25

Notre Dame & Florida State Among Biggest Early Leaps; Duke & Colorado Enter Top-25 After Massive Week 1 Upsets

After one super weekend of football, things are already getting crazy in the AP Poll. A long list of top-10 beatdowns solidified some of the teams at the top while #4 Florida State was the big winner of Week 1 after trouncing previously-No. 5 LSU (now 14th). #9 Tennessee and #10 Notre Dame also climbed into the top 10. Near the back end? Two programs that haven’t sniffed the top 25 in a long time have joined the party — #21 Duke and #22 Colorado. The biggest drop-off belonged to previously-No. 9 Clemson (now 25th). Shaky ground in Death Valley. Week 2 coming soon.

AP Poll (Top-10)

1. Georgia (1-0) | —

2. Michigan (1-0) | —

3. Alabama (1-0) | ↑1

4. Florida State (1-0) | ↑4

5. Ohio State (1-0) | ↓2

6. USC (2-0) | —

7. Penn State (1-0) | —

8. Washington (1-0) | ↑2

9. Tennessee (1-0) | ↑3

10. Notre Dame (2-0) | ↑3

Receiving Votes: Iowa (73), UCLA (55), Arkansas (28), TCU (27), Kentucky (15)

AP: Big 12 Faces a Week of Big-Time Matchups After Tough Start to CFB Season

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HIGHLIGHTS

MLB

Speedy De La Cruz Scores Walk-Off Run for Reds Against Mariners (7-6)

Astros Retake AL West Lead After Jose Altuve Hits 3 HRs in 1st 3 Innings

Marlins Top Dodgers (6-3) to Win 5th Straight & Keep Wild Card Hopes Alive

FIBA World Cup

Team USA Downs Italy (100-63) to Reach Semifinals

Mikal Bridges Has Game-High 24 Points

WNBA

Liberty Hold Off Wings (94-93) to Win 7th Straight

Breanna Stewart (40) Sets WNBA Record for Points in a Season (861)

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NFL STORYLINES

The ‘ManningCast’ Auditions

Peyton and Eli Manning’s ‘ManningCast’ broadcasts were a hit last season, and the show has already produced a viral moment before the 2023 NFL season even kicks off. Check out Peyton and Eli’s audition tapes for this year’s celebrity guests. (Sports Illustrated)

2023 NFL Power Rankings

Football is back, and what time-honored tradition is more fun than ranking the NFL from best to worst? We haven’t conducted power rankings since the draft, and somehow it feels like everything has changed. (FOX Sports)

Hot-Seat Coaches’ To-Do List

There are more than a few head coaches who enter the 2023 campaign standing on rather thin ice. Some haven’t been able to meet the lofty expectations of their teams. Here’s what they must accomplish in 2023 to keep the job. (Bleacher Report)

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NEWS