- American talent Coco Gauff began her US Open campaign on Monday night in the Arthur Ashe Stadium
- A star-studded crowd that included Barack Obama, Michelle, Obama, Mike Tyson and Maria Sharapova watched as she secured victory over Laura Siegemund.
American talent Coco Gauff began her US Open campaign on Monday night in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michele were among those who watched as Gauff beat German qualifier Laura Siegemund.
Gauff was outplayed in the first round but survived the scare to secure a 3-6 6-2 6-4 victory in the New York night action. Speaking after her victory, the sixth seed said she is happy to have made it to the next round having overcame a lot of adversity.
Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were among those present as Coco Gauff played her first US Open match on Monday. Photo/ San Diego Union-Tribune.
“It was a tough match, I wasn’t playing my best tennis. Laura is not an easy opponent and fights until the end. I overcame a lot of adversity so I was happy to get through.” BBC Sports quotes Coco Gauff.
Gauff is among top stars who are expected to challenge Iga Swiatek for the US Open title. The Polish star has already booked her spot into the next round after securing victory over Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson in the first round played before Gauff’s match.
How The Game Unfolded
Coco Gauff played her first match at the US Open this year while being watched by big names such as Barack Obama, Michelle, Obama, Mike Tyson and Maria Sharapova.
Laura Siegemund looked potentially on course to cause an early upset after claiming the first set against Gauff. The two-time US Open doubles champion brought an attacking brand of tennis earlier into the match.
She took the first break of the match and boosted her advantage to 4-2. Here precise passing shots and unrelenting net play eventually paid off as she earned the first set. She won 10 out of 13 net points in the first frame of the exciting match.
However, Coco Gauff bounced back in the second set. The hometown favourite broke in a 26-minute first game and eventually converted an eighth break point. With the momentum on her side, she quickly leveled the match.
In the third set, Gauff broke twice to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Siegemund made several errors which piled up in the third set. She even lost a point after umpire Marijana Veljovic penalized her for time wasting, which led to Gauff leading 5-1.
Laura Siegemund rallied back to make it 5-4 but was unable to catch up with Gauff who sealed a place in round two. The two shared a terse handshake after the decider.
Coco Gauff returns a shot to Laura Siegemund during the first round of the U.S. Open. Photo/ North Shore News.
After the end of it all, Michelle Obama went down on the court to participate in a tribute to Billie Jean King. This marked the 50th anniversary of the US Open becoming the first major sports event to pay equal prize money to women.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login