By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 26, 2023
Coco Gauff is not psychic, however she’s taking part in with prescience in Roland Garros practices.
The 2022 Roland Garros runner-up is aware of the ball is coming to her forehand—and believes that barrage is making her weaker wing a weapon on clay.
More: Swiatek, Sabalenka Face Tough Tests in RG Draw
The sixth-ranked Gauff has seen a gradual stream of photographs to her forehand throughout this clay-court marketing campaign.
Gauff has struggled to a 3-3 clay-court singles document this season, although she has gained useful match play partnering Jessica Pegula to a few consecutive WTA 1000 doubles finals in Miami, Madrid and Rome.
In singles play, opponents can rush Gauff into forehand errors as her expansive takeback requires time to generate her forehand in distinction to her extra compact backhand backswing.
Additionally, Gauff’s excessive western grip on her forehand means opponent generally slide quick slices and drop photographs as digging out low balls could be difficult with that excessive grip.
Still, Gauff believes her forehand generally is a weapon on clay for 2 predominant causes:
1. She can play excessive, heavy topspin to again opponents up behind the baseline, that is a big benefit when many opponents hit a lot flatter and are uncomfortable warding off the excessive ball.
2. Knowing each opponent she faces is a large edge, Gauff says, as a result of she is aware of the place the balls going earlier than opponents full their swing.
“I mean, obviously the forehand is something that I have to improve on, but on clay especially I feel like it’s one of my weapons,” Gauff instructed the media in her pre-tournament presser in Paris. “Last year, I mean, I have won a lot of points using that heavy forehand, and I think that that’s something I continue to do this year.”
After slamming Gauff, 6-3, 6-0 in Madrid earlier this month, Paula Badosa summed up her technique merely: Make Gauff beat her with the forehand.
“She has crazy backhand, very good serve, especially first serves,” Badosa mentioned of Gauff. “Of course going more to her forehand, most because her backhand is very good, and when you have like the spot there, you just go there, but I just tried to go to her forehand.
“Sometimes simply give it to her and make her like do extra what she will. And, yeah, that is just a little bit the tactic that I can say now. I hope she would not learn it.”
Hall of Famer Arthur Ashe famously said: “I by no means hammer a person’s weak point, it’s possible you’ll play it right into a energy.”
A year ago, an 18-year-old Gauff moved masterfully, mixed her high-bouncing heavy forehand with finishing flat backhand bolts becoming the youngest woman to reach the French Open final since Kim Clijsters in 2001, the youngest woman major finalist since Maria Sharapova stunned Serena Williams to take the 2004 Wimbledon championship and the youngest American woman to contest a Grand Slam singles final since a 17-year-old Serena knocked off world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the 1999 US Open final.
The sixth-seeded Gauff will open her Roland Garros return against Spaniard Rebeka Masarova with a potential quarterfinal clash with world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, in what would be a rematch of the 2022 final, looming.
Conceding her forehand is still very much a work in progress, Gauff said she’s aiming to apply the same French Open formula she used in rallies last year: Play the high, heavy topspin forehand to opponent’s backhands to force them to counter crosscourt where she can step in and crack her two-hander with point-ending power.
The question is: Can Gauff execute that play repeatedly under pressure particularly with opponent’s knowing it’s coming?
“Right now I really feel like my forehand is a energy on clay. In all my observe matches, clearly I’ve the benefit,” Gauff said. “I do know the place they are going to play me, which is loads, as some gamers do not know that. I do know precisely what they are going to do and now it is all about executing it.
“So I guess in a way I’m using it more as a strength. Obviously it’s something I need to work on, but I have to work on everything. My last match I think I honestly hit my forehand well. I think the backhand was the problem in my last match. I wouldn’t say “the” backhand but a lot of mistakes on that side. So it’s something that I’m working on, and we’ll see.”
Photo credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Content Source: www.tennisnow.com