New York – In front of a cheering home crowd, 22‑year‑old Coco Gauff began her quest for a second U.S. Open championship with a solid 6‑3, 6‑4 win over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez on Tuesday. Fresh off a Cincinnati Open title, Gauff entered the tournament with confidence and quickly asserted control under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Gauff said she was surprised by her calmness on the court, noting, “I wasn’t that nervous today, which was a shock.” She added that she tried to hold back a smile as she walked back onto the court after the first set.
Match highlights
The American took the only break of serve in the first set and wrapped it up in just over half an hour. Sonmez, the world No. 53, displayed flashes of talent, including a blistering backhand that earned applause from the crowd and even Gauff herself.
In the second set, Sonmez broke early, forcing Gauff to defend a 3‑2 deficit. Gauff fought off three break points, held serve to level the set, and then broke again to re‑establish control at 4‑3. From there, she pulled away, closing out the match without further trouble.
“I know that I can raise my level if I need to,” Gauff said after the win. “I like to challenge my opponent to keep up that level the whole match, and if they do, I clap my hands and walk off the court with my head held high.”
Looking ahead
Gauff, a fourth seed who has reached at least the fourth round of the U.S. Open for four consecutive years, will face either Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa in the second round.
Her performance in New York follows a recent triumph in Cincinnati, underscoring her momentum as she chases a third Grand Slam title after her breakthrough victory in 2023.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
