Coco Gauff took another step closer to the final Saturday as she seeks to be the first woman to successfully defend her title since Serena Williams achieved that feat in three consecutive years between 2012 and 2014. Gauff got off to a less-than-ideal start in her second-round clash against Tatjana Maria after dropping her first service game in the first set, but was able to rebound for a convincing victory.
Gauff Chases Second US Open Title
Coco Gauff has alluded to how much playing night matches at the US Open, particularly at Arther Ashe, can unsettle her at times, stating that “night matches at Arthur Ashe are a little bit more nerve-racking.” The defending US Open women’s champion had to shake some early jitters on Wednesday night as she eventually eased past German Tatjana Maria into the third round.
Gauff struggled to get her first serve in throughout the early exchanges in the opening set, but it didn’t take much longer for her to find her footing in this match. She won 6-4 6-0 to keep her US Open title defense alive.
The 20-year-old Gauff – after claiming her maiden Slam title last year – is primetime viewing now in New York, and the weight of that attention reared its head at times under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The world No. 3 and highest-ranked American woman will next face Elena Svitolina, who will pose a much bigger challenge than any of her opponents have managed to do so far. The crowd will no doubt keep the flames of their support for their champion burning high when they meet on Friday. How much of an impact that will have in quelling Gauff’s nerves is yet to be seen.
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch – USA TODAY Sports
