Coco Gauff Battles Through Early Serving Struggles to Secure 2nd-Round US Open Victory.
NEW YORK -- Coco Gauff overcame early serving struggles in her second-round match at the US Open, extending her winning streak to nine matches at the venue where she claimed her first Grand Slam title. On Wednesday night, she secured a 6-4, 6-0 victory over 99th-ranked Tatjana Maria.
"I can serve better," Gauff admitted. "That first set would have been a lot easier."
The 20-year-old from Florida faced challenges from the outset at a hot and humid Arthur Ashe Stadium. Under the lights, she battled against Maria, a 37-year-old from Germany who reached the Wimbledon semifinals two years ago and is known for her slicing forehand and backhand.
"At first, last week, I felt more pressure," Gauff said, discussing her return to Flushing Meadows as the defending champion during an on-court interview with 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios. "But now, stepping on the court, I really have nothing to lose... and I have the potential to do more, whether it happens this year or in the future."
Gauff's first set was marked by seven double faults and a first-serve percentage below 50%. She faced five break points, saving four, and struggled with other aspects of her game as well, including winning just 9 of 17 net points and committing 20 unforced errors compared to 10 winners. Her frustration was evident, as she frequently looked to her guest box with exasperation, rolled her eyes, or placed her hand on her hip, particularly after a misjudged volley sailed several feet out of bounds.
Serving for the opening set, Gauff double-faulted twice and faced two break points that could have allowed Maria to level the score at 5-all. However, Maria missed a forehand on the first, and Gauff executed a cross-court forehand passing shot on the second before closing out the game.
The second set was a different story entirely.
Gauff delivered 15 winners with just five unforced errors -- including two double faults -- and went 10-for-11 at the net.
"I should have done that more in the first," said Gauff, the No. 3 seed, referring to her success when advancing to the net.
On Friday, Gauff will face 27th-seeded Elina Svitolina, a three-time major semifinalist, who defeated Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 6-2, for a spot in the fourth round.
Gauff entered the US Open after a string of early exits at other tournaments. This included back-to-back losses at hard-court tuneup events earlier in the month, along with eliminations in the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round of the Paris Olympics, both in July.
"It's been a tough few weeks," Gauff admitted.
On Wednesday, Gauff recorded nine double faults, three more than in her opening-round match against Varvara Gracheva. Her first-serve percentage dropped significantly to 43%, compared to 64% in her first match.
Despite her serving struggles, Gauff managed to close out both her first- and second-round matches with a 6-0 set. She became the first defending US Open women's champion to win two "bagel" sets in her first two matches since Serena Williams in 2013, who went on to win the title.
Gauff also improved her Grand Slam record to 22-3 since beginning her 2023 US Open title run, the most major wins by any woman in that time.
(ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tiafoe, Shelton, and Zverev Advance on Sweltering Day at the US Open///
Frances Tiafoe made quick work on one of the hottest days of the US Open, advancing to the third round when his opponent, Alexander Shevchenko, retired after just one game of the third set. Tiafoe was leading 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 when Shevchenko, who had already called for a trainer after the second set, decided to stop.
"Happy to get it done. Hate to win it that way, but overall, I thought I actually played pretty well today," Tiafoe said after his relatively stress-free win, during which he changed shirts five times.
Tiafoe has been in impressive form, winning 11 of his last 15 matches since adding David Witt as his coach in Atlanta, including a run to his first Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati. Before this streak, Tiafoe had a 15-15 record at the tour level through Wimbledon.
Next up for Tiafoe is a highly anticipated rematch with compatriot and No. 13 seed Ben Shelton, who wrapped up the day session on the Grandstand court with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut. Shelton defeated Tiafoe in straight sets last year and has promised another exciting encounter.
"Obviously, he's very much like me in how excited and energetic he is on the court," Tiafoe said of Shelton. "He has such a big game, big shots, serves big, and gets the crowd going."
Shelton acknowledged Tiafoe's strong fan base, saying, "I know that the people love him here. Probably more than me. He's electric here, and his crowds are electric here."
"It will be a battle. It will be a war just like the last two times we've played. Yeah, I'm more than excited to be out there with him again," Shelton added.
In other men's singles action on Wednesday, Alexander Zverev defeated Alexandre Muller 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-1 on the sweltering Louis Armstrong Stadium court. Zverev is now just one win away from reaching 100 career major match victories, joining Boris Becker (163) and Tommy Haas (105) as the only German men to achieve this milestone. The fourth seed blasted 15 aces and showcased a mix of power and finesse with drop shots at the net, continuing his pursuit of a first major title after a runner-up finish at Roland Garros.
No comments: