American ace-hurler Coco Vandeweghe dismissed defending champ and world No. 1 Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open — and that was just for starters. Now she’s in the semifinals after ripping Garbine Mugurza 6-4, 6-0. In the semis Vandeweghe will face Venus Williams, another player with some famous family members.
Vandeweghe has a weighty legacy to carry around. The 6’1″ 25-year-old is a former Junior US Open champion (2008), but that’s not the whole of it. Vandeweghe comes from a family of athletes and stars where accomplishment is expected. Her grandmother was 1952’s Miss America Colleen Kay Hutchins, who married New York Knicks star Ernie Vandeweghe. Her uncle — and near namesake — is former NBA star Kiki Vandeweghe. All Coco’s mom Tauna Vandeweghe did was swim the 100-meter backstroke — in the 1976 Olympics. Needless to say, Coco carries the weight with aplomb.
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