PARIS (Reuters) -American Coco Gauff rolled past Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-3 6-4 in the second round of Roland Garros on Wednesday, harnessing her mighty forehand in front of a crowd squarely on her side. The U.S. Open winner sent over nearly two dozen winners and overcame issues with her serve, including six double faults, to […]
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Tennis-Gauff cruises past Zidansek to reach French Open third round
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PARIS (Reuters) -American Coco Gauff rolled past Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-3 6-4 in the second round of Roland Garros on Wednesday, harnessing her mighty forehand in front of a crowd squarely on her side.
The U.S. Open winner sent over nearly two dozen winners and overcame issues with her serve, including six double faults, to set up a meeting with the winner of a match between China’s Wang Yafan and Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
“I’m very happy with how I played. Conditions (were) very slow and muggy but I got through it,” said Gauff.
The world number three showed early signs of nerves as former semifinalist Zidansek broke her serve in the opening game of the match.
But Gauff, a finalist in 2022, broke back in the sixth and eighth games, and got the decisive second-set break in the ninth game before pumping her fist with satisfaction as Zidansek sent the ball out of bounds on match point.
The American has revamped her serve since picking up her maiden major on home soil last summer but has not been able to snap a three-year clay-court drought before arriving at Roland Garros.
“I felt like I could have, especially in the second set, probably won it a little bit sooner, maybe 6-3 6-2,” Gauff told reporters.
“But with the matches, I mean, there’s always things you can do better, and I try not to over-analyse everything.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare Fallon)