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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 21, 2023
There have been excessive hopes for the probabilities of Coco Gauff this 12 months in Australia, the American coming into the draw with a title underneath her belt and sauntering into her spherical of 16 conflict with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko with an 8-0 report on the season.
But it surely all got here crashing down as Ostapenko performed to perfection on Day 7 pinning the speedy American again behind her baseline with thundering blasts that persistently landed simply contained in the baseline.
Gauff was not blown off the courtroom by any means, however she merely couldn’t acquire the higher hand.
“She hit loads of winners, which not lots of people can do on me,” Gauff mentioned. “So I feel that she did an amazing job at this time.”
The 18-year-old gained her earlier assembly in opposition to Ostapenko within the Linz remaining in 2019, however realized at this time that there’s a huge distinction between an erratic Ostapenko and one that’s firing on all cylinders.
“I feel each loss is considerably in my management as a result of I do really feel like I am a very good participant, however at this time she simply performed higher.
“I imply, there have been moments within the match the place I used to be getting annoyed as a result of I usually can problem-solve, however at this time I really feel like I did not have many solutions to what she was doing,” Gauff mentioned. “There was balls I used to be hitting deep, and she or he was hitting them on the road and hitting them again deep, like, again and again. It is simply a type of days that simply did not go my means and went her means.”
Gauff: “I labored actually exhausting, I felt actually good coming into the match, and I nonetheless really feel good. I’ve improved rather a lot.
However if you play a participant like her and she or he performs rather well, there’s nothing you are able to do.
“It was tough. It is just a little bit irritating on that half.”
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 22, 2023
Gauff might have helped herself by enjoying the massive factors higher, however she failed to avoid wasting any of the three break factors she confronted. She transformed simply one of many eight she noticed. Regardless of her tidy stat line – 21 winners in opposition to 14 unforced errors – this match was gained and misplaced within the margins.
“I attempted what I might,” Gauff mentioned, in tears at one level throughout her press convention. “Like I mentioned, there are some issues I most likely might have improved on, however she performed properly. You may’t actually do something. I am upset clearly, however I really feel like I did all the pieces I might within the second, and I am going to most likely need to rewatch and see what I can do higher.”
Nonetheless alive in doubles
Gauff nonetheless has one thing to play for in Melbourne, nevertheless. She’s alive within the doubles draw and can play the spherical of 16 alongside Jessica Pegula, in opposition to Miyu Kato of Japan and Aldila Sutjiada of Indonesia.
“I am excited to play doubles,” she mentioned. “I feel it offers me an opportunity to nonetheless be round, and I positively take pleasure in simply competing usually. So I feel it is going to assist me no matter tomorrow, simply let me play with some frustration.
“I feel doubles has taught me how one can play, after shedding, how one can play with frustration, and that is what I felt like at this time. I used to be annoyed.”
[2] Gauff and Pegula roll by means of Uchijima/Wang 7-5 6-1 to achieve the spherical of 16. pic.twitter.com/PUe5Ux6pDD
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) January 21, 2023
Gauf may even be rooting on her doubles accomplice, Jessica Pegula, who moved into the quarterfinals with a win over Barbora Krejcikova on Sundah.
“I am trying ahead to tomorrow. I hope that I will help her, and I hope that she continues properly within the match now that I am out.I hope she wins it. I knew we’d most likely face one another if we each stored successful.
“Yeah, I am rooting for her all the best way.”
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