© Getty Images Sport – Sarah Stier
Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci thinks Cori Gauff’s impressive US Open first-round comeback win on Arthur Ashe Stadium will do wonders for the 19-year-old American. On Monday night in New York – in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium – world No 6 Gauff found a way to recover from a slow start and beat world No 121 Laura Siegemund 3-6 6-2 6-4.
“@CocoGauff nail biting and nerve-wracking experience will help her in so many intangible mental ways you have no idea. This street fight on Center Court and the AMERICAN CHOSEN ONE to start the 7pm night session will be a gold nugget in her back pocket the rest of her career,” Macci wrote on X.
@CocoGauff nail biting and nerve wrecking experience will help her in so many
intangible mental ways you have no idea.This street fight on Center Court and the AMERICAN CHOSEN ONE to start the 7pm night session will be a gold nugget in her back pocket the rest of her career. — Rick Macci (@RickMacci) August 29, 2023
Gauff ‘won ugly’ against Siegemund
After winning Washington and Cincinnati leading up to the US Open, in-form Gauff struggled early on against Siegemund.
Although Gauff didn’t play her best tennis against Siegemund, she was still able to bounce back and play well enough to avoid a shock loss against the German. “Yeah, I definitely won ugly tonight. It was a lot of weird points, with the slicing.
Usually something that I usually do well against, opponents who slice. We were prepared for it. I think today was just execution,” Gauff said after surviving the Siegemund challenge. Also, Gauff admitted she was just glad that she was able to survive a tricky first-round challenge.
“Yeah, I mean, first rounds are always tricky, especially she played through qualifying. She’s a tricky opponent in general. She does a lot of quirky stuff with the slices and coming to the net, all of that. I played her before in the past, obviously a long time ago.
I think I lost. I’m just happy that I was able to overcome all that. Wasn’t playing my best tennis. I think most of the time, every Grand Slam you have one bad match. I’m glad I was able to get that out of the way in the first round;” Gauff said.