By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, March 21, 2019
“This is a dream, like, I have been dreaming of this moment for years, just playing in the Miami Open," said Coco Gauff after scoring her first WTA win at the Miami Open.
Photo credit: Getty
MIAMI—The pro circuit is the ultimate reality TV.
Tennis television fanatic Coco Gauff channeled desire and discipline to earn her first WTA win in a thriller she called “surreal.”
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In a clash of talented young American wild cards, Gauff rallied from 2-4 down in the decisive set to edge sometime doubles partner Caty McNally, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in a Miami Open opener before a packed Court 5 crowd that included U.S. Fed Cup captain Kathy Rinaldi, Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ coach, Roger Federer's agent, Tony Godsick, and veteran coach Sven Groeneveld, who previously coached Maria Sharapova.
“I still don't believe that I won,” a smiling Gauff said afterward. “After the match, I served for the match and I was, like, ‘Do I have to return again, or do we shake hands? I didn't really think it was over.’
“This is a dream, like, I have been dreaming of this moment for years, just playing in the Miami Open. And I have been coming to this tournament since I was eight or nine years old. Watching the players here and actually being in the same tournament, being in the same area as players that I've watched since practically I was born, it's so surreal to me.”
This was a riveting and dynamic match pitting McNally’s all-court skills and superb volleying against Gauff’s damaging serve and baseline explosiveness.
Last September, the American pair partnered to win the US Open junior doubles title months after Gauff fought off McNally, 1–6, 6–3, 7–6 (1) in the Roland Garros junior final.
McNally, who is fearless moving forward, showed a sculptor’s feel at net carving out some exquisite volleys. McNally was one point away from seizing a 5-2 lead in the final set, but Gauff made her play another volley.
And then she never lost another game.
"I know she has good hands, because I've played doubles with her, but just trying to make her prove that she has good hands, if that makes sense, just trying to make her play volleys," Gauff said. "I know she's going to make the volley, but you never know, you get lucky. She had unreal hands, unreal hands the whole match. I think she won more net points than she lost, for sure. You never know. You get lucky, she misses a volley at the right time, you never know."
Familiarity was a double-edged sword in this match.
“It kind of helped, obviously, because I knew her tendencies, but also I think it helps her, like, we both kind of had advantage because know each other's games very well,” Gauff said. “I think that anyone could have won today, and I think the match just was really decided by two or three points.”
With her support box yelling “Make it physical! Make it physical!” Gauff elevated her game at crunch time mixing in some high, heavy topspin to push McNally back then sometimes stepping in to slash strikes down the line.
The explosive Gauff has big dreams for this tournament: she’s not just here to compete, she says she’s here to take the title.
“My goal for every tournament is to win the tournament,” Gauff said. “I don't want to say I will just win this next match and be done. My goal is to win the tournament. I'm going to keep that goal there and just keep fighting for it.”
While that may sound like hyperbole coming from a tour rookie, Gauff received plenty of positive reinforcement from several veterans, including Olympic gold-medal champion Monica Puig, Andrea Petkovic and compatriot Alison Riske.
The teenage revealed one of her more explosive hitting partners—Nick Kyrgios—made an emphatic prediction
“Monica Puig was also very nice,” Gauff said. “All the players gave me great feedback, actually, at the end of the practice. They all told me that you're going to do big things in this tournament.
“I hit with Kyrgios this week. We didn't play a practice match, obviously, because I would have lost. But I hit with him, and he told me that you're going to go far in this tournament. I was, like, All right, that's basic. He's, like, ‘No, you're really going to go far.’ I was, like, ‘Okay.’ ”
Next up for Gauff is 2018 Indian Wells finalist Daria Kasatkina, who finished last season ranked No. 10 but has slumped this season. Kasatkina has suffered opening-round exits in four of six tournaments this year, including falling to Marketa Vondrousova, 6-2, 6-1, in Indian Wells.
“I have never met her before, but obviously I have seen her play a lot,” Gauff said. “Like, I have seen everyone, basically, in this tournament on TV a lot or in person.
“I'm just excited to play. She's the 14th seed, I believe, and I will see how my improvement has been going, playing against someone ranked as high as her and who has also had a couple good breaks in Grand Slams.”