Coco Gauff overcomes 23 double-faults for first win since French Open
title
[July 30, 2025]
MONTREAL (AP) Coco Gauff made a winning return to competition on
Tuesday night, even though some old serving woes came back with her.
Gauff had to overcome 23 double-faults to win for the first time since
the French Open final, outlasting fellow American Danielle Collins 7-5,
4-6, 7-6 (2) in the second round of the National Bank Open. |
Coco Gauff of the USA returns the ball during second round tennis action
against Danielle Collins of the USA at the National Bank Open tennis
tournament in Montreal on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The
Canadian Press via AP) |
|
Gauff hadn't played since losing in the first
round at Wimbledon and appeared to have made a change to her
serving grip during her time away. She struggled with it during
the match, hitting some serves that were well long and others
that were soft and easily pounced on by the powerful Collins.
It was a frustrating match for me," Gauff said. "I felt like I
was practicing well and then I don't think I transferred it
today, but hopefully I got my bad match of the tournament out of
the way and I could come back stronger the next round.
A balky serve ended her U.S. Open title defense last year, when
she committed 19 double-faults in a fourth-round loss to Emma
Navarro. The serve was even more erratic Tuesday, though Gauff
did hit a good one to end the match with an ace.
She is the top seed in Montreal due to the withdrawal of
top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, the player Gauff beat to win the
French Open in June. Gauff will face Veronika Kudermetova in the
third round and said she had plenty left after the match that
lasted 2 hours, 55 minutes, adding she could possibly cut that
in half if she cleaned up her serve.
I felt that I was playing well except that part of my game,
Gauff said. But I felt like off the ground I was playing pretty
well.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
|
