Coco Gauff has revealed that she prepared to play Leylah Fernandez during the off-season as they are set to meet for the second time this season at the Australian Open.
Gauff reached the third round in Melbourne with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.
The match looked straightforward but Gauff was tested throughout the contest and was 5-3 down in the second set before rallying back to win the match.
After the match Gauff admitted she didn’t play her best tennis and spoke about what went through her head at 5-3 down, “Yeah, it wasn’t my best tennis off the serve. Off the ground, I didn’t play too bad. I knew she was going to come in, be aggressive,” Gauff said in her press conference.
“The first set she was giving me a little bit more errors. But second set her shots were landing, and she was playing pretty powerful. I was just trying my best to get through it.
“I think it’s just, I don’t know, one of those adrenaline-type things. Sometimes you’re like, Dang, I wish I could do that, have a chance to go up 4-1. All credit to her, even though I had break points to go up a double break, she served well on them. The service game at 3-All wasn’t the best. I don’t regret anything on the return game. She was serving well.
“I was just trying my best to just get it deep. Yeah, I think it was just one of those things, just step up my level against her. I knew that there was going to be a moment maybe where she wasn’t going to play as well. It’s just when that moment would come. I don’t know if it was going to be at 5-3 or in the third set.”
It was a gutsy last few games from Gauff as she is into the third round to play Leylah Fernandez with this being their second meeting this season.
Their first was at the United Cup where Gauff won 6-3 6-2 and the American has revealed that she specifically prepared for the match by practicing with Robin Montgomery in the off-season, “I mean, I knew that I wanted to play with some lefties in the offseason because I knew it was going to be my first match. I guess I practiced with Robin, and then there was a guy that I practiced with, lefty,” the American explained in her press conference.
“Most of the time I have my hitter. He is righty. Unfortunately cannot hit lefty. Yeah, it was something that I wanted to prep for, just be ready for. I knew United Cup she was going to have — you know the schedule weeks beforehand. I knew she was going to have a match before she played me. I have to be ready because she will have a chance to work her way into things.
“Honestly, we didn’t really, like, prep for her the whole offseason. I hit with Robin the week before I was supposed to leave. Yeah, it wasn’t something like we completely planned. It is nice. I guess you feel almost like a regular sport, like NFL or NBA, where you knew who you’re playing. I did enjoy that because I knew who my first two opponents were going to be. I knew what to expect. That’s the unique thing about United Cup, that it helps for fans, too, to know they’re getting these matchups guaranteed.
“I guess, I don’t know. We’ll see two days from now if it makes a difference or not. Obviously I did well at United Cup. It’s a different match, different story. Anything can happen.”
Gauff will take on Fernandez on Friday for a place in the second week as she continues her bid for a second Grand Slam title.
