By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, January 14, 2024

 

Coco Gauff soared through eight straight games dismissing Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-0 to land in the Australian Open second round.

Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty

Dropping serving three times in a row, Coco Gauff didn't press the panic button in her Australian Open opener.

Plugging into positivity, Gauff turned first-set test into happy hour.

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A gleeful Gauff soared through eight straight games dismissing Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-0 to land in the Australian Open second round with a convincing one-hour win.

The US Open champion shook off serve rust near the end of the opening set and was nearly untouchable in the second set as Schmiedlova’s energy level and confidence dipped. Gauff won five of the 15 games at love and rolled through 25 of the last 30 points of the match.

It is Gauff's eighth straight major match win.

“I was a little nervous the first set and I think I did well returning and then I found my serve toward the end in the second set,” Gauff told Jill Craybas afterward. “This is my third time playing her. She’s a tough player to play, but I’m happy with how I managed my emotions today.”

“I think I’m always nervous in the first rounds of Slams. Honestly, that gave me more confidence today. My first round at US Open was a tough first round. So I knew I could get through those tough moments in that match and I was able to buckle down at 3-all and pretty much take off from there.”



After dropping serve for the third time, Gauff went back to basics reminding herself to bring the bliss.

“Honestly when I was nervous at 3-all I just told myself, I literally said, that I feel good, I look good, so just have fun and that was able to relax me a little bit,” Gauff said. “That’s why I play tennis to have fun so that’s what I remind myself. Australia is truly the Happy Slam so I just needed to be happy on the court and that what I was able to do.”

Opening the season showcasing her streamlined serve, Gauff successfully defended her Auckland title last week. With today’s win in her first Grand Slam match since she rallied past Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final, Gauff raised her 2024 record to 6-0.

Striking with more conviction as the match progressed, Gauff charged through to a second-round meeting with compatriot Caroline Dolehide.

The 44th-ranked Dolehide served 92 percent, connecting on 44 of 48 first serves stopping French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean 6-2, 6-4.

Launching her quest to become the first woman since Naomi Osaka in 2018-2019 to sweep the US Open and Australian Open back-to-back, Gauff burst out of the blocks quickly. Gauff rolled through nine straight points sprinting out to a 2-0 lead only to gift back the break in the third game.

That started a trend of seven straight breaks as both women were squinting into the high afternoon sun and both were framing forehands at times.

Managing her weaker forehand wing, Gauff’s slightly mis-hit forehand pass down the line off a crosscourt approach gave her break point. Nearly skimming the net with a low forehand, Gauff coaxed a netted reply to convert her fourth break in as many chances for a 5-3 lead.

Serving for the set, Gauff stamped her second love hold to snatch a one-set lead in 35 minutes. Though Gauff dropped serve three times and didn’t look fully committed to her forehand at times, she punished the Schmiedlova second serve winning 10 of 11 points played on the Slovak’s second delivery in the first set.



The set in hand relaxed Gauff a bit as she broke at 15—her fifth break of the day—to start the second set.

Swinging more freely, Gauff slashed successive aces backing up the break with her third love hold for 3-0.

"I think the first set I was playing really passive, and I mean, I was nervous," Gauff said. "I don't think. I know I was nervous. I feel like a lot of my shots that I'm confident in when you're nervous there is always a second-guessing feeling.

"Finally I was able to, like, let go and just play free and put the ball deep. I think what changed in the second set, I was playing much deeper. She also made more errors, too. But I think I was just playing much deeper and much freer.

"Yeah, I think I just freed up and everything started to fall in place."

A sharp Gauff slammed her signature shot, the backhand down the line, to close a one-hour win with a bang.