US Open: Defending Champion Coco Gauff Sets Up Round Three Clash with Elina Svitolina

Sponsored Ad

Defending US Open champion Coco Gauff advanced to the third round in commanding fashion, dispatching Germany's Tatjana Maria in straight sets on Wednesday. Gauff, the third seed, secured a 6-4, 6-0 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium, taking just 80 minutes to wrap up the match.

The 20-year-old American demonstrated her growing dominance, winning seven consecutive games to seal the win, with a flawless second-set performance marking her fifth bagel set in a grand slam this year.

"It was a tricky match," Gauff admitted. "The first set was close, and I could have served better. But overall, I made the right decisions, even if some needed better execution."

Next up for Gauff is a third-round clash with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, a 2019 US Open semi-finalist. The pair have faced each other twice before, with Gauff winning their most recent encounter at the Auckland Open final earlier this year, after suffering a defeat at the 2021 Australian Open.

Gauff’s victory extended her winning streak at the US Open to nine matches, making her the youngest player to achieve such a feat since Maria Sharapova did so between 2006 and 2007. With 59 grand slam match wins under her belt, Gauff is closing in on Sharapova’s record of 81 wins for players under 21.