Coco Gauff is aiming to win her second US Open title after making a strong start to her campaign.
The American cruised past Zeynep Sonmez in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
In the first set, Gauff was the stronger player from the start. She served well, attacked from the baseline and used her powerful groundstrokes to move Sonmez around the court.
Gauff won the set 6-3 after breaking Sonmez’s serve and keeping control of the rallies. Sonmez had some good moments and hit several winners, but Gauff was more consistent and made fewer mistakes.
The second set was much closer, with Sonmez playing more confidently and putting Gauff under more pressure. Gauff had to work hard on her own serve, especially during a long game when she faced three break points, but she stayed calm and saved all three. That gave her a big lift, and she then broke Sonmez’s serve to take a 4-3 lead.
Gauff stayed focused, served well and used her strong shots to close out the set 6-4 and win the match in straight sets. Speaking to the media and the crowd, Gauff praised her opponent’s performance and the way she played throughout the match.
“I wasn’t that nervous today, which was a shock. When I walked back out on this court, I was trying to hold back a smile.
“I know that I can raise my level if I need to. I like to challenge my opponent to keep up that level the whole match, and if they do, I clap my hands and walk off the court with my head held high. But I was able to settle down.”
