By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 31, 2020
Anastasija Sevastova exploited 13 double faults from Coco Gauff earning a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win to reach the US Open second round for the seventh time in eight appearances.
Photo credit: @USOpen
As her forehand flat-lined into net, Coco Gauff grimaced at stinging reality.
In a near silent Louis Armstrong Stadium, Gauff suffered some major growing pains against the all-court skills of Anastasija Sevastova.
More: For Mladenovic the Bubble is Harrowing
The savvy Sevastova exploited 13 double faults from Gauff earning a topsy-turvy 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 US Open victory to advance to the second round for the seventh time in eight Flushing Meadows appearances.
Though she carried an ignominious 1-7 record on the season, including seven opening-round exits, into this fan-free 140th edition of the US Open, Sevastova always seems to summon her most dynamic tennis on the faster Flushing Meadows hard court.
This time, the 31st-seeded Sevastova, who squandered a one-set, 4-2 lead and incurred a code violation for slamming a ball into the empty seats, showed composure at crunch time defusing the talented teenager. Sevastova saved two break points in the opening game of the final set persistently picking on Gauff’s sometime flighty forehand raising her US Open record to 18-7.
"I wish I would play like this when I was 16 years old," Sevastova said of Gauff. "Great player. Nothing more to say. I think she maybe started a bit slower than me, but she was getting better as the match went on. That's so important I think in tennis.
"Yeah, in the end I think third set she played her best tennis. She was serving better, moving better. It was tough, yeah. Fortunately I stayed calm in the third set and managed to win, to close it out."
It is Sevastova's first victory since she surprised Serena Williams 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the Fed Cup Qualifier in February.
Gauff was tennis' breakout star last season, but the teenager’s second serve and western grip forehand were unstable in patches today and the Latvian veteran targeted those weaknesses effectively.
Though Gauff cleaned up her act on serve in the final set—she hit just one of her 13 double faults in the last set and was firing second serves in the 95 mph range saving three match points—those vulnerabilities show she still has a lot of work to do in polishing her explosive game.
"I mean, right now losses hurt," Gauff said. "I mean, I'm disappointed. I'm going to go back to practice tomorrow and hopefully do my best in doubles, then prepare for singles in Europe."
The 31st-seeded Sevastova, who made history as the first Latvian woman to reach the US Open semifinals two years ago, played thoughtful tennis mixing pace and angle in that final set after nearly imploding at the end of the second set.
It was Gauff’s first Grand Slam opening-round exit in four major appearances and a reminder how vital experience is to a young player's growth.
"The main part that hurt was just getting matches under my belt, getting experience," Gauff said of the six-month break from the sport. "That's what I need on tour. I'm playing against people older than me who have been in more situations, difficult situations, than I have. I think the biggest thing is I just need experience."
Two key elements were missing from Gauff’s game from the start—confidence in the second serve and the raucous New York crowd which embraced Gauff and energized her run to the third round last year where she lost to Naomi Osaka.
Striding out onto Armstrong Court, Gauff followed a double fault with a flat forehand into net gifting the break in the opening game of the match.
Though Gauff broke right back, Sevastova cracked serve again in the fifth game and snapped off a 98 mph serve completing a love hold for 4-2.
Quickly tumbling into a triple-set point deficit, Gauff didn’t get enough angle on her approach shot and paid the price flailing a wild smash wide as Sevastova scored her third break of the day at love to snatch the first set.
Gauff showed familiar grit coming back from a set and 2-4 down to level.
Serving at 4-all in the second set, Sevastova could not buy a first serve. A frustrated Sevastova played an unsightly and ornery service game gifting the break and a 5-4 lead to Gauff, who up to that point was just as erratic on serve.
Handed a reprieve, Gauff came within two points of seizing the second set, but like Sevastova, her first serve deserted her under stress. Stretching the court, Sevastova broke back to level after 10 games.
Eighty-two minutes into the match, the pair engaged in a 29-shot exchanged with Sevastova smacking a forehand to take the longest rally of the match.
The 45th-ranked Latvian is the more experience player, but she her festering frustration was boiling over and Gauff fed off that. Dipping a pass low, Gauff coaxed Sevastova into netting a drop volley to break again for 6-5. Sevastavo compounded that miscue belting the ball high into the near-empty stands incurring a code violation warning in the process.
Given another shot to serve out the set, Gauff made good. Landing first serves consistently, Gauff streaked forward drawing a netted pass to seize the second set and force a decider after 88 minutes of play.
Though Gauff carried a 9-2 career record in three-setters into this final set credit Sevastova, who squandered that one-set, 4-2 lead, for erasing that emotional letdown.
Sevastova saved two break points battling back with a four-point run holding to open the decider.
Both women found their groove on serve in the early stages of the third set. The 30-year-old Latvian won a rapid-fire net exchange holding for 3-2. Then Sevastova took treatment from the trainer who put eye drops in her right eye.
Sevastova stayed cool throughout the final set and picked away at Gauff’s weaker forehand wing drawing a netted error for double match point.
Gauff saved the first with a stinging serve and dodged the second match point when Sevastova netted a forehand sitter near mid court.
A fine backhand drop shot from Gauff drew Sevastova forward but the Delray Beach, Florida native botched a routine high forehand volley to face a third match point. A tight Sevastova sailed a forehand, but waited patiently on a net-cord shot and rifled her two-hander down the line for match point number four.
Though Gauff went for—and made a gutsy 98 mph second serve—she slapped a forehand into net off her back foot bringing a quiet end to a two hours, two minutes.
In round two, Sevastova will face 18-year-old Marta Kostyuk, who crushed former Indian Wells finalist Daria Kasatkina, 6-1, 6-2, on the strength of a 22 to 4 advantage in winners.
Meanwhile, Gauff, who reached the US Open girls’ singles final at age 13 in 2017 and won the US Open girls doubles crown with Cati McNally in 2018, is still so far ahead of the curve.
American women went 1-8 on day one with Madison Brengle accounting for the lone win.
The second serve and forehand failings show Gauff’s game is still very much a work in progress. Gauff’s grit, exceptional speed around the court, bold two-handed backhand and her first serve which she can crack with command when confident are all foundational features, which will make her development exciting to watch.