Coco Gauff continues to impress on the North American hard court circuit, defeating Ann Li and securing her place in the fourth round of the Masters tournament in Cincinnati. Following a standout performance at the Canadian Open, where she reached the semifinals, the young American tennis player has shown excellent form, defeating Liudmilla Samsonova and Li in succession, setting her up for a matchup against Marie Bouzkova.
The 19-year-old is finding her best form ahead of the US Open, where she aims to win the Grand Slam for the first time since her inaugural victory in 2023. One of the most notable aspects of her game has been her serve, an area where Gauff has struggled in recent seasons. Recently, her serve has been more consistent, a feat attributed to her work with biomechanist Gavin MacMillan, who has been coaching her since the end of the 2024 season.
In comments to The Tennis Channel, Gauff discussed her serve: “I think today I was really relying on my serve. I felt like the new balls or the faster conditions during the day, compared to at night, affected it. Some of the doubles I hit were unintentional and flew off my racket. I was just trying to adjust and mix it up. I think I could have done more variations today.” The player also acknowledged that she could have used more spin serves: “But overall, I’m happy. The goal is to keep relying on my serve. I feel like it’s becoming a real weapon for me.”
Although her serve is not yet perfect, Gauff is managing to win as many points as she loses with it. In her match against Li, the tennis player hit six aces and committed six double faults, but was not broken at any point during the two sets. Gauff also won 68% of her first serve points, an impressive number that demonstrates the significant progress she has made in this area.
The American has yet to win a WTA Tour title this season, but it would be a major surprise if she does not secure one before the end of the year in November. Furthermore, Gauff is an unusual bet to win the US Open, with the New York crowd surely cheering her on. After being eliminated in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows in the last two seasons, the tennis player hopes to at least improve on that performance.
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