Coco Gauff launches China Open title defence in style
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Coco Gauff hits a return to Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova during their match at the China Open.
PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING – Coco Gauff is hoping to build on experience, after brushing aside Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 6-0 on Sept 26 to secure a spot in the last 32 as she bids for a repeat China Open crown.
The world No. 3 from the United States will next face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, who triumphed decidedly over Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-0 in Beijing.
“I think the mindset is a little bit different just because when you play well at a place, you have a lot of confidence,” Gauff said.
“When those tough moments happen, you feel the familiarity of the conditions from the years before that.”
In her first appearance since the US Open, Gauff powered through a drawn-out second game to save four break points and level for 1-1 with a cross-court winner.
It was the 21-year-old Gauff who broke first, landing the ball right on the line for a 4-3 lead. She won the next game and although Rakhimova held her off for one more, it was the defending champion who triumphed.
An energized Gauff broke early without losing a single point in the first game of the second set and defended against a fighting Rakhimova for a 2-0 lead.
She worked hard to save three break points over the frustrated but defiant 89th-ranked Russian to pick up a third straight game.
Gauff made quick work of the rest to deny 24-year-old Rakhimova any chance of a comeback and closed out the match with a bagel.
Her biggest rival in Beijing is world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, fresh off a title in Seoul, after top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka withdrew.
“I expected it to be close,” Gauff added.
“She’s a great player and she’s had competitive results with top players in the last few tournaments. I just found my rhythm and got in the flow.
“Nobody wants to lose first round, so I was just a little bit tight, I think, but I was able to loosen up and I think that showed in the score.”
In other news, Carlos Alcaraz on Sept 25 said that tennis players are fighting “to have something better” after an elite group sent letters to the Grand Slam tournaments asking for more influence and money.
A group of leading players including men’s world No. 1 Alcaraz is pushing for a greater share of revenue, more benefits and a bigger say in how the sport’s four major tournaments are run.
Alcaraz, playing at the Japan Open in Tokyo where he will face Zizou Bergs in the round of 16 on Sept 27, said the current situation was “a mess” and believes players deserve a fairer deal.
“We are all tennis players and we are fighting to have something better for us,” the Spaniard said.
“I think right now, it’s a little bit a mess between everything, between the ATP (men’s tour), between the Grand Slams. What we want, all the players, is to have everything together.”
The letter, reportedly signed by other top stars including Jannik Sinner, Gauff and Sabalenka, is the second sent by the group of players. AFP, REUTERS
