Defending champion Coco Gauff admits she wasn’t entirely satisfied with her latest performance at the US Open despite dropping just four games.
The third seed defeated Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-0, after getting off to a shaky start. Gauff struggled with her serve throughout her second round meeting and only managed to get 44% of her first serves in play. On top of that, she also hit 25 unforced errors to go with her 25 winners.
Shortly after beating Maria, Gauff was in action again but this time on the practice courts after deciding to head there with her team. Something which she didn’t do following her first round win over Varvara Gracheva which she won 6-2, 6-0.
“I just hit serves,” Gauff said during her post-match press conference. “Obviously I didn’t serve great at all. I got lucky. I think I only got broken once, but probably could have, should have gotten broken a couple of more times. So I just hit serves.”
The 20-year-old went on to explain that she only trains after matches when she is not entirely happy with her performance. Her encounter with Maria lasted 80 minutes.
“I really only do it when I don’t feel great after a match,” she continued. “Like my first round, even though it was a quick match, I didn’t go back out after because I felt great after. Sometimes I just like to leave with that feeling, but I didn’t feel great after.”
Gauff will be hoping to elevate her game when she plays Elina Svitolina on Friday. The Ukrainian is a former US Open semi-finalist and is making her 11th main draw appearance in the tournament this year. In her latest match, she brushed aside compatriot Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 6-2.
The upcoming showdown will be the third time the duo have locked horns on the Tour and the second this season. They are currently tied at 1-1 in their head-to-head.
“I know I’ll have to bring my best tennis to win against her.” Said Gauff.
“I think she’s a good all-court player. She can do pretty much everything. She’s really solid from the back. When I played her in Auckland, we had a lot of physical points.
“I think the challenge will be just finding the balance between being aggressive and not letting her dictate, but also not making too many errors.”
Gauff is aiming to become the first woman to defend their US Open title since Serena Williams.
