Coco Gauff advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open with a commanding 6-4, 6-0 victory over 99th-ranked Tatjana Maria, extending her winning streak to nine matches at the venue where she claimed her first Grand Slam title. The match took place on Wednesday night at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 20-year-old from Florida initially struggled with her serve, particularly in the first set against Maria, a 37-year-old German player known for her slicing style. Gauff struggled with seven double-faults during the first set and managed to get less than half of her first serves in play. Although she faced five break points, she successfully saved four of them. Additionally, Gauff struggled at the net, winning only 9 of her 17 attempted points and committing twice as many unforced errors (20) as winners (10).
Her frustration was evident through her body language as she looked toward her guest box for support and expressed her bewilderment with gestures after making errors. Notably, she double-faulted twice while serving for the first set and faced two break points that could have leveled the score. However, Maria missed a crucial forehand on the first break point, and Gauff responded with a powerful cross-court forehand to stay ahead and secure the set.
The second set showcased a dramatic turnaround for Gauff, who hit 15 winners while only making five unforced errors—two of which were double-faults—and executed an impressive 10 out of 11 successful net approaches.