Coco Gauff has really recaptured her form at the US Open, shutting out all the pre-tournament doubters to enjoy a comprehensive start in New York.
First facing Varvara Gracheva of France, she eased into a first-set lead before then bagelling her opponent to assert her dominance.
Then, she would repeat that feat yesterday, cruising past Tatjana Maria with another bagel.
However, upon reviewing the clash, Coco Gauff was not as delighted as one might have expected her to be, after such a simple victory on paper.
Coco Gauff left annoyed at her US Open opponent
Speaking to the press after her second-round win over the German, she rated her own performance, and that of her opponents, who despite the comfortable scoreline left Gauff feeling frustrated.
After all, it was not as easy as the 6-4, 6-0 result might have suggested, which she professed to reporters.
The American claimed: ‘I have played her before two years ago in Auckland and she definitely was going over on the forehand and on the backhand she would slice more. I think later on as she’s getting older she is slicing more.
‘I expected her to slice a lot but I honestly thought she would come over a little bit more. I thought the percentage would be like 70/30 or maybe 80/20 but it was definitely like 99/1! Even the couple of times she did go over it threw me off because I didn’t know whether to hit, it was just so strange.
‘I love Tatjana and her family but she is very annoying to play! I think today was just an annoying match because you are able to hit winners but because she is slicing it so you have to generate all the power. Sometimes it can be more physically tiring than it looks because you have to generate literally 100% of the power every single time compared to somebody where you can just redirect.
‘It was difficult, to say the least, but it’s the type of match you just have to get through.’
It seems, after such a strong start, Gauff is listening to the advice Naomi Osaka gave her ahead of the tournament.
Coco Gauff has found her form in New York
Heading into the US Open, there were real fears about Gauff’s form as she sought to defend the title that she so triumphantly won last year.
After all, she had disappointed at Wimbledon, underwhelming at the Olympics, and then, heading back to the hard courts in Toronto and Cincinnati, she exited those events in the second and first round respectively.
So, upon returning to New York, many wondered whether such dire form might scupper her chances.
But, the manner in which she has blown away her first two opponents in straight sets suggests that she is back, and ready to battle for this title again.
Set to face Elina Svitolina in the next round, this marks the first real challenge for the 20-year-old.
Should she overcome it, momentum might well carry her towards that final yet again.
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