Paris, Jun 2 (IANS): Coco Gauff stormed into the quarterfinals of the French Open after a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto on Sunday. With this win Gauff also became the first american woman in open era to reach four straight French Open quarterfinals before turning age 21.
On the revered clay of Court Philippe-Chatrier, the American third seed delivered one of her most impressive displays, showcasing a blend of power, precision, and athleticism that left her opponent struggling to keep up.
From the outset, Gauff was in imperious form. Within the first nine minutes, she had surged to a 3-0 lead, breaking Cocciaretto immediately and doubling down on her advantage with another break, courtesy of a double-fault from the Italian. The crowd watched in awe as Gauff’s crushing backhand winner sealed the first set in just 24 minutes.
As the second set began, Gauff's momentum showed no signs of waning. Cocciaretto's double faults continued to pave the way for Gauff, who capitalised with a series of powerful forehand and backhand shots that left her opponent reeling. Despite a brief hiccup where Gauff herself double-faulted, she quickly regained her composure. Her fierce forehands and backhands kept the pressure on Cocciaretto, who found herself scrambling from side to side in a vain attempt to stay in the game.
Gauff's athleticism was on full display as she covered every inch of the court, converting a double-break chance with a spectacular display of defense and a forehand winner on the slide. Serving for the match, Gauff remained unflappable, closing out the game with a flourish as Cocciaretto's final forehand sailed long.
In her on-court interview, Gauff reflected on her journey and the advantages she’s had along the way. "I’m lucky to have been able to train on clay since I was 10, which is not common for most Americans," she said, smiling. "It’s something that I work on; I do like to slide for some of those crazy drop shots, and sometimes I do surprise myself."
Interestingly, Gauff revealed that her winning strategy was devised in just two minutes on the morning of the match.
"After my warm-up, we talk for two or three minutes to preview the match," Gauff explained. "It’s never too complicated. When you make tennis simple, it’s easier, because you need to focus on yourself. Yes, it’s good to know your opponent’s habits, but you can’t overcomplicate it because they may not play you in the same way."
Reflecting on her preparation for facing Cocciaretto for the second time this year, Gauff added, "This is the second time I’ve played her this year. We already knew how to play, and we looked at what we could do better from the last match. Today, it was two minutes of preparation. I finished the warm-up at 10:31 am and walked off the court at 10:33 am."
With her place in the quarter-finals secured, Gauff's sights are now set on her next opponent, either Ons Jabeur or Clara Tauson.