Coco Gauff Begins Title Defense With Comfortable Win

American Coco Gauff started her U.S. Open title protection with a 6-2, 6-0 win over France’s Varvara Gracheva on Monday, needing solely 66 minutes to complete the first-round encounter.

Gauff, who final yr turned the primary American teenager to win the U.S. Open title since Serena Williams in 1999, fired 10 aces and saved eight break factors in opposition to the 66th-ranked Gracheva on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“It’s undoubtedly lots of stress this event however I am simply having fun with it,” third seed Gauff mentioned after the match.

“Final yr was unimaginable, so I am simply bringing these vibes and no matter occurs, occurs.”

Gauff had a irritating build-up to the U.S. Open, as she crashed out within the third spherical on the Canadian Open in Toronto and suffered a gap spherical exit because the defending champion in Cincinnati.

However the 20-year-old seems to be eager to place these performances behind her.

“The previous few weeks have been a bit of bit powerful,” world no. 3 Gauff mentioned. “However right now was I feel one of the best tennis I’ve performed shortly,” Gauff added.

In Wednesday’s second-round match, Gauff will play in opposition to German veteran Tatjana Maria. She has confronted Maria solely as soon as earlier than, beating her in straight units at Auckland in 2023.

In accordance with the WTA web site, Gauff has now gained 15 main-draw matches in her U.S. Open profession. She is the youngest girl to gather that many main-draw singles victories on the hardcourt main since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.

Gauff reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and French Open this yr and the fourth spherical at Wimbledon.

Second Seed Sabalenka Sails By way of

Elsewhere within the ladies’s draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon 6-3, 6-3 in her first-round match.

Having gained the Australian Open this yr, Sabalenka is making an attempt to turn out to be the primary girl to win each hardcourt majors in the identical season since Angelique Kerber in 2016.

The Belarusian will face Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti within the second spherical on Wednesday.

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, seeded eighth, additionally progressed to the second spherical with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Spanish qualifier Marina Bassols Ribera.

Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen of China, seeded seventh, got here again from a set all the way down to beat Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 20 minutes.