Coco Gauff seems to be loving the ASB Classic in Auckland, as she's continuing her winning streak also in 2024.
First time the young American played at the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland was back in 2020, but back then, she lost already in the second round to Laura Siegemund after a three-set fight.
She returned to the ASB Classic in 2023, and cruised to the title without losing a set. This year, she's doing the same thing so far, beating all of her opponents without any major difficulties.
In the opening round of the tournament, the 2023 US Open champion defeated fellow compatriot Claire Liu in straight sets, but she knew that she could still improve.
In the second round, Gauff took on an opponent, who was younger than herself, something that had only happened for the sixth time in her career so far.
Brenda Fruhvirtova is also a teenage prodigy, but the 16-year-old has yet a lot to learn on the WTA Tour, and this second-round match with Gauff only proved it, as she struggled to keep up with the world no. 3.
The Czech player started really well, taking her opponent's serve in the third game of the opening set, but after that, she could not use any of her following three break points in games 5 and 9, while her opponent was much more efficient.
Gauff used two out of three break points that she worked her way to in games 4 and 6, and thanks to that, she was able to win the opening set of the second-round match 6-3.
The American then broke her opponent's serve twice in the opening three games in the second set, and after getting one more break, she served for the set at 5-0 to serve her opponent a bagel.
But Fruhvirtova didn't want to be bageled, creating two break point chances, but if something mattered in this match, it was efficiency as Gauff ended the second set with 3/3 break point conversion rate, while her opponent with 0/2.
As a result, the 2023 US Open champion won the match 6-3, 6-0, setting up a quarterfinal clash with the eighth-seeded Varvara Gracheva.
0 Comments