NEW YORK — Coco Gauff used the phrase “when I was younger” after her second-round victory on the U.S. Open on Wednesday whereas discussing the attitude she’s gained on the ripe outdated age of 19.
“I used to think,” she defined, “every match was life or death.”
And now? Well, the American stated after beating 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva of Russia 6-2, 6-3 in Arthur Ashe Stadium that losses are OK “as long as you learn from them.”
Gauff isn’t getting a lot alternative for that kind of studying these days – she’s gained 13 of her previous 14 contests, together with claiming the 2 greatest titles of her still-nascent profession – and but her recreation has been exhibiting loads of progress these days.
“Obviously maturity plays a part into it. The more matches you have, the more experience you have,” stated Gauff, who’s seeded sixth at Flushing Meadows and heading in the right direction for a possible quarterfinal showdown in opposition to defending champion Iga Swiatek, additionally into the third spherical after profitable in straight units Wednesday.
“Mirra, she’s going to be a great player,” continued Gauff, whose breakthrough got here at age 15 when she certified at Wimbledon and received to the fourth spherical. “With the more matches she has, the more experience she has.”
And then Gauff closed with fairly a praise: “I really see myself in her.”
The two youngsters confronted one another about three months in the past on the French Open in what was a a lot tighter affair, going three units earlier than Gauff – the runner-up to Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2022 – pulled out the win.
At the outset on Wednesday, it appeared they may be headed for one more aggressive outing, by the seems of the opening recreation: Andreeva broke immediately, smacking an enormous backhand down the road to attract a Gauff forehand into the web on a 19-stroke alternate, then getting a 120 mph serve in play, resulting in a netted backhand.
“I didn’t feel like she changed” since they final met, Andreeva would say afterward.
Oh, however Gauff has. She is prepared to be extra aggressive early in factors – and went to the web 18 occasions, taking 15 of these factors. She has higher footwork on her forehand and isn’t afraid to go for that shot.
Those are two enhancements which have come since a first-round loss at Wimbledon in July, tweaks that arrived whereas working with new coaches Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert, who could possibly be heard urging Gauff to make issues extra bodily from his front-row seat in a participant visitor field.
The floor switched, too – from the slower clay of Paris to the swifter onerous courts of Flushing Meadows – and Andreeva figured that had extra to do with the relatively completely different outcome this time.
She additionally lamented: “This match I did more mistakes than I usually do. … I could have played better.”
Later Wednesday, Gauff and Jessica Pegula went out to play their first-round doubles match and gained – though not precisely when Gauff thought they did. Ahead 4-1 within the second set, Gauff smacked a return winner for a 5-1 lead, and he or she went to hug Pegula, considering the match was over. Pegula knowledgeable her of the error; Gauff doubled over in laughter. One recreation later, it was, certainly, completed.
After that one poor recreation to start issues in opposition to Andreeva, Gauff shortly snapped to it, trying way more formidable than she did throughout a tough three-setter in opposition to Laura Siegemund that lasted 2 hours, 51 minutes within the first spherical Monday evening. This one lasted lower than half as lengthy, time-wise.
Gauff’s serve was clicking; she by no means received damaged once more. Her forehand was as much as the duty, whilst Andreeva repeatedly went after that aspect, one thing Gauff has known as the outdated “playbook” in opposition to her. On prolonged groundstroke back-and-forths, largely from the baseline, Gauff was superior.
She gained 14 of 20 factors that lasted 9 strokes or longer, as much as as many as 30 photographs. Overall, Gauff compiled a 24-7 edge in winners.
“Playing a younger person just reminded me how far I have come,” stated Gauff, who performs No. 32 Elise Mertens subsequent, “and I should be proud of myself.”
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