Coco Gauff endured quite a tricky match at the 2024 Italian Open in Rome, but she was able to come out on top, winning in three sets.
Jaqueline Cristian is probably a name most tennis fans have never heard before but the Romanian is a pretty feisty tennis player who can trouble the best. She plays her best tennis on clay, and she has shown it once more by playing some pretty solid tennis against the 20-year-old.
The American was the heavy favorite and showed all of her might in that opening set. Using her speed to track down balls, Cristian really struggled to find meaningful solutions in the first set, as Gauff won it 6-1.
However, some early pressure in the second set really paid off. Gauff is one of the best players in the world, and while occasionally she performs superbly without making mistakes, she can also struggle during matches.
This was one of those matches, but she was still able to win it. After losing her serve early in the second, Gauff completely collapsed and found herself on the wrong side of a bagel.
She lost the second set 0-6, and it wasn't a very good set of tennis. Thankfully for her, though, she remembered what she learned in tennis school in the next set and jumped out to an early lead.
It was really important for Gauff to cut the momentum of the Romanian and raise her own confidence. Losing a set 0-6 is never easy, and bouncing back from that was crucial.
An early break was perfect for her, as she was able to set the tone for the rest of that set. It was dominated by the American, who finished the match off, winning it 6-1, 0-6, 6-3. It was a very colorful score, but winning is what matters most to Gauff.
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