Coco Gauff Bitterly Complains About the Italian Open’s Slow Conditions After Opening Round Victory
Coco Gauff beat Victoria Mboko in three sets to reach the third round of the Italian Open in Rome.
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Coco Gauff (Image via X/The Tennis Podcast)
Coco Gauff fought hard to reach the third round of the Italian Open after coming from behind to beat Victoria Mboko in three sets. The American star was nowhere at her level in the first set but did rally back into the match. After the match, Gauff revealed that she struggled with the conditions of the court.
Gauff is not the first player to complain about the Italian Open courts since the tournament began. Aryna Sabalenka has stressed that the courts in Rome require more physicality than the ones in Madrid and Stuttgart. Also, because it is an open court, the wind sometimes affects the pace of the ball.
However, Gauff did show some confidence after going down 3-6 against Mboko in the first set. The American had to turn around the match by hitting 25 winners, nearly double that of Mboko, who had 13, while converting nine of her 13 break points. She claimed the victory 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in an hour and 43 minutes of play.
After the match, Gauff was asked why she struggled in the first set. She revealed that she had not trained in the court to get used to it, as she had to recover after finishing as runner-up in Madrid.
I’ve hardly had time to practice because I came directly from Madrid, but the court is very slow. In the next match, I’ll be more tense and feel better, but I had problems today because of the slow ball speed. I felt it was impossible to hit a winner.
Coco Gauff said via Rome Press
Gauff reached the final of the Madrid Open for the very first time in her career. However, she lost the title to Sabalenka in straight sets. She will be hoping to do the same in Rome, despite never reaching the final there.
Coco Gauff says she screamed after finding out Pope Leo XIV was an American
Coco Gauff has always been outspoken about her religious faith, both on the court and off the court. This week, Robert Prevost was chosen to lead the Catholic Church as the Pope in a conclave that lasted for two days. Coco Gauff reacted to the emergence of the new Pope, who is reported to be the first American to ever hold the position. She revealed that she screamed when she heard the news.
My physiotherapist is Catholic, and he told me it was very unlikely that there would ever be an American Pope in history. When I found out he was, I screamed. I felt like I was at the Olympics or something similar. I’ve seen he likes tennis. I hope he likes women’s tennis because then he’ll know who I am.
Coco Gauff said
There have been reports that Pope Leo XIV once said that the sport he likes watching is tennis. Also, there are claims that he’s a big fan of a Baseball club in Chicago.
Coco Gauff to face Magda Linette in the third round in Rome
Coco Gauff’s victory over Victoria Mboko continues her record in the WTA of not losing to a player ranked outside the Top 100 since her defeat to Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championship. Also, Gauff has an excellent history at the Italian Open, as she has reached the semi-finals twice, including last season.
She will now face Magda Linette in the third round of the Italian Open. Linette defeated Maria Sakkari 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the second round. It will be the fourth meeting between Gauff and Linette on Tour, with the American leading 2-1 in their head-to-head record. The last time they met, the Polish star defeated Gauff in straight sets at the Miami Open.
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