Reigning champion Coco Gauff is into the third round of the US Open after a straight-sets victory over Tatjana Maria on Arthur Ashe on Wednesday night.
In a match of contrasting sets, Gauff recorded a 6-4, 6-0 victory in an hour and 20 minutes, overcoming her German opponent after a patchy opening set that saw her register seven double faults and 20 unforced errors.
Gauff was visibly frustrated with her own service game during the opening set, landing just 47% of her first serves. She also struggled at the net in the first set, winning just nine points from 17 net approaches.
Maria’s game plan appeared to unsettle Gauff in the opening set, with the German slicing the ball at every opportunity and putting the onus on the World No. 3 to take initiative in rallies.
The reigning US Open champion got out of jail on a number of occasions during the opening set and appeared to take heart from that escape, hitting 15 winners and registering just five unforced errors in a dominant second set that left Maria reeling.
Gauff made the perfect start on Ashe, breaking Maria in the opening game of the match to establish an early lead. She could not consolidate the break, however, with the German breaking back in Gauff’s first service game of the evening.
The pair managed two service holds apiece before Gauff made the decisive break with the scores tied at 3-3. A backhand slice into the net handed Gauff a breakpoint and the reigning US Open champion secured the break – and the lead in the set – when Maria sent a forehand long.
Gauff consolidated the break on this occasion – just. In a game lasting well over six minutes, Gauff registered three double faults and handed Maria a break point of her own – saved when the German fired a backhand well beyond the baseline.
Gauff eventually consolidated the break with a perfectly executed drop shot.
She was just as unsettled in her next service game when she served for the first set, again racking up three double faults and handing Maria two break-point opportunities.
A visibly frustrated Gauff saved both break points, conjuring up an exquisite cross-court passing winner and a glorious spinning volley that crashed into the umpire’s chair.
There was drama on Gauff’s set point when a technical fault led to an erroneous out call for a Gauff forehand that landed comfortably inside the baseline, leading to a long delay inside Arthur Ashe. The point was eventually replayed, with Gauff sealing the set when Maria again sliced into the net.
Gauff never looked back, settling down considerably after taking the opening set.
Once again, she broke in the first game of the set, coming back from 40-15 thanks, in part, to a delightful forehand that kissed the baseline. Maria subsequently hit another slice into the net at deuce and double-faulted on the next point to hand Gauff the initiative.
There were to be no service wobbles on this occasion, with Gauff comfortably holding in each of her three service games and putting huge pressure on the Maria serve to secure a comfortable win, sealing victory with a thunderous backhand after a marathon rally on match point.
Gauff took to the practice courts after Wednesday night’s win in a bid to address some of the issues that plagued her serve throughout the first set.
“I just hit serves. Obviously I didn’t serve great at all,” Gauff said. “I think I only got broken once, but I probably could – should – have gotten broken a couple more times.”
Gauff added that Maria’s constant use of the slice caused problems on Wednesday night.
“Because she’s slicing it, you have to generate all the power, so sometimes it can be more physically tiring than it looks.”
Gauff now faces a third-round clash with Elina Svitolina on Friday after the Ukrainian recorded a comfortable straight-sets victory against compatriot Anhelina Kalinina on Wednesday night.
“She’s obviously a difficult opponent,” Gauff said. “She’s a veteran player, I played against her earlier (Auckland in January 2024) and that was a tough, tough match. I know I have to bring my best to win against her.”
