+ A
A -
DPA
Melbourne
Teenage sensation Coco Gauff is reliving the highlights of her short pro career in her Australian Open main draw debut.
After going past her idol Venus Williams in the opening round of the slam, in a rematch of the 2019 Wimbledon win that brought her to prominence, the 15-year-old has booked herself a US Open rematch with defending champion Naomi Osaka.
Gauff continued to impress on Wednesday as she came back from one set down to defeat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 setting up the third round contest with the Japanese star.
Last year, she took the tennis world by storm with a remarkable Wimbledon run from qualifying into the fourth round, defeating Venus Williams in the process.
She then made it into the third round of her home Grand Slam, the US Open, before being stopped by then-defending champion Osaka in a much hyped encounter which turned out to be a pretty one-sided affair in favour of the two-time slam champion.
“I think I’ll be less nervous this time,” Gauff said on Wednesday of the upcoming game.
“I think US Open I was nervous. It was my first time on (Arthur Ashe Stadium). We’re both familiar with each other’s games. She plays really aggressive. This time coming in I’m going to be more aggressive,” Gauff added.
After the New York match, Osaka famously embraced a tearful Gauff and convinced her to share the on-court interview, normally reserved for the winner.
“It was definitely a good moment I think for both of us, especially me,” Gauff told journalists after her win over Cirstea.
“It just shows what being a competitor really is. You might hate the person on the court, but off the court you love them, not really like hate. But you want to win,” she added.
Gauff has steadily risen through the rankings since her Wimbledon debut at number 313. She broke into the top 100 after her first and so far only career title in October in Linz, Austria, and is now up to 67th in Melbourne.
When asked about a potential match-up with her other idol Serena Williams in the quarter-finals, the American did not bite: “I didn’t even know Serena was on my side of the draw. I don’t look at draws. I just know I play Naomi. I’m looking forward to that.” Asked about the draw, before the Gauff match with Cirstea was over, Osaka admitted that she has kept an eye on the teen.
“I don’t really know what to think right now. Because I would have to watch them play, and I actually watched Venus play Coco. That match is very, like, TV,” the Japanese star said.
Melbourne
Teenage sensation Coco Gauff is reliving the highlights of her short pro career in her Australian Open main draw debut.
After going past her idol Venus Williams in the opening round of the slam, in a rematch of the 2019 Wimbledon win that brought her to prominence, the 15-year-old has booked herself a US Open rematch with defending champion Naomi Osaka.
Gauff continued to impress on Wednesday as she came back from one set down to defeat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 setting up the third round contest with the Japanese star.
Last year, she took the tennis world by storm with a remarkable Wimbledon run from qualifying into the fourth round, defeating Venus Williams in the process.
She then made it into the third round of her home Grand Slam, the US Open, before being stopped by then-defending champion Osaka in a much hyped encounter which turned out to be a pretty one-sided affair in favour of the two-time slam champion.
“I think I’ll be less nervous this time,” Gauff said on Wednesday of the upcoming game.
“I think US Open I was nervous. It was my first time on (Arthur Ashe Stadium). We’re both familiar with each other’s games. She plays really aggressive. This time coming in I’m going to be more aggressive,” Gauff added.
After the New York match, Osaka famously embraced a tearful Gauff and convinced her to share the on-court interview, normally reserved for the winner.
“It was definitely a good moment I think for both of us, especially me,” Gauff told journalists after her win over Cirstea.
“It just shows what being a competitor really is. You might hate the person on the court, but off the court you love them, not really like hate. But you want to win,” she added.
Gauff has steadily risen through the rankings since her Wimbledon debut at number 313. She broke into the top 100 after her first and so far only career title in October in Linz, Austria, and is now up to 67th in Melbourne.
When asked about a potential match-up with her other idol Serena Williams in the quarter-finals, the American did not bite: “I didn’t even know Serena was on my side of the draw. I don’t look at draws. I just know I play Naomi. I’m looking forward to that.” Asked about the draw, before the Gauff match with Cirstea was over, Osaka admitted that she has kept an eye on the teen.
“I don’t really know what to think right now. Because I would have to watch them play, and I actually watched Venus play Coco. That match is very, like, TV,” the Japanese star said.
