Gauff Backs Up Us Open Win With Straight Set Victory Over Alexandrova
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Coco Gauff returned to winning ways at the 2023 China Open when she beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in her first match.
19-year-old United States tennis sensation, Coco Gauff, recently backed up her highly rated status by winning her first Grand Slam title back at the US Open in September, and after a short break following that tournament, the young talent is now back in action and has returned to the court and made her debut at the China Open.
Having not played since her win, she took her unbeaten run to 13 with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova, and it now means she has won 19 out of her last 20 matches since her first-round exit at Wimbledon.
Progressing through to the next round of the China Open, Gauff will now face number 48 in the world, Petra Martic. Just ahead of her opening debut win at the competition, Gauff was in front of the media reflecting on her last success.
In a quite open and honest interview, she revealed that having taken a short, seven-day holiday after her win left her feeling 'a little bit weird' and she was in many ways struggling to relax and wind down after all the emotions she had felt, but it was also crossed with a sense of boredom as she wanted to feel that rush again.
For those who like a flutter, there are options to compare the recent tennis betting odds listed on Wincomparator, and Gauff will no doubt feature highly in those odds.
Lifting the US Open trophy with a fantastic comeback victory over World No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff came back in three sets, having lost the opener 2-6 in what was a shaky start from her, but the new World No. 3 dug deep to take the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 in what became a very dominant display.
"Once I got home, it was pretty chill. I took a week off, which is the longest I've ever taken off from tennis. It was a little bit weird having nothing to do. Then we had a little celebration with all my friends and family could go to in Florida. After that, right back to training and back to getting back to work, which honestly, I was eager to get back. A week was a long time for me to take off."
It is probably an understandable feeling given her age as she has been living and breathing tennis for the last few years in an effort to reach her true potential, especially with the added highs and emotions of such a first major win.
However, being able to relax and unwind after competitions is going to become something that is more and more important for her to get as she continues to develop and grow in the game, and you would assume someone in her camp has already warned of the dangers of burnout.
"It was honestly a little bit weird. Because it was just one of the biggest things in your life, then you go home and you're back to cleaning and doing all the regular stuff that you do."
"But I'm not surprised. I know I have lots of tennis left in me. I don't want to just dwell on this. It was amazing, but it's time to move on."
It will be interesting to see just how far the 19 year old can go at this time of asking.
