Coco Gauff started her first Grand Slam tournament as a US Open champion, and her 2024 Australian Open start was very impressive.
In her first match at the event, the young American took on world no. 68 from Slovakia, Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. The two met twice before, but the Slovakian never stood a chance, and it was easy to understand why Gauff was the overwhelming favourite.
Once the match started, it became even more clear, as Schmiedlova struggled massively against her opponent. Many expect big things from Gauff, and this match may be a sign that those big things are coming since she didn't even come with her A-Game, and still, she dominated.
It was mostly about clear Schmiedlova's struggles. In the first set, both players couldn't get into the rhythm on their serve, as the Slovak player lost all of her service games, while Gauff lost three out of five.
Schmiedlova hit only two winners and made 15 unforced errors in the first set, and that's just a stat line that it's impossible to win with. On the other hand, Gauff hit five winners, but still hit 11 unforced errors, but one of the problems was once again her forehand.
The American's most-discussed shot didn't help her in the first set at all. While she hit three backhand winners and made only two unforced errors from that side, she couldn't hit a single forehand winner, and added six unforced errors.
But in the second set, Gauff's performance improved massively, and with Schmiedlova's continued struggles, there was only one outcome that it could have resulted in, and that was a 6-0 scoreline.
The fourth seed hit 10 winners in the second set and made only two unforced errors, while losing only one point on her serve. On the other hand, Schmiedlova won only four points on her serve, not hitting a single winner while making 12 unforced errors.
Overall, it was a super-nervous performance from the Slovak player, but a very solid win for Gauff, especially in the second set, who cruised 6-3, 6-0 to book a second-round showdown with fellow compatriot Caroline Dolehide.
Coco Gauff vs Anna Karolina Schmiedlova Match Stats:
| Coco Gauff | Anna Karolina Schmiedlova | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Aces | 0 |
| 1 | Double Faults | 3 |
| 55% | First Serve % | 43% |
| 71% | Points Won After First Serve % | 31% |
| 59% | Points Won After Second Serve % | 14% |
| 7/9 | Break Point Conversion | 3/5 |
| 15 | Winners | 2 |
| 13 | Unforced Errors | 27 |
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