“Couldn’t ask for a better start,” Coco Gauff starts the season on a high clinching 2023 ASB Classic title

American teenager Coco Gauff won her first hard court tournament since 2019 on Sunday

“Couldn’t ask for a better start,” Coco Gauff starts the season on a high clinching 2023 ASB Classic title

Coco Gauff with the ASB Classic trophy

American tennis prodigy Coco Gauff defeated Spaniard Rebeka Masarova 6-1 6-1 to win the ASB Classic in Auckland on Sunday. Gauff was dominant throughout the match, as evidenced by her dropping just two games. Gauff justified her status as the top seed in the competition with the third WTA title of her career.

The World No.7 player had a terrific tournament as she did not drop a set on her way to being champion. The ASB Classic is her second hard-court title and her first trophy since her 2021 victory at Emilia-Romagna Open. Speaking on her performances, Gauff said,” Honestly, a great week for me despite the rain. Couldn’t ask for a better start to my season. First title on hard since I was 15. I’m happy to be successful on a surface that I love.”

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Coco Gauff managed the unpredictable Auckland weather well throughout the week. Matches had to be stopped due to rain or moved indoors to keep the tournament on track during the week. The final was the same. But Gauff managed to maintain her focus and finished off the set paused at 5-1 due to rain.

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The title gives Gauff a significant boost coming into the Australian Open next week. The 18-year-old acknowledged as much saying,” It gives me a lot of confidence, honestly. You never know how your first week is gonna go. Could be good or terrible. But I think it’s been a great week for both of us.”

Gauff will be looking to keep the positive momentum going. The French Open finalist was disappointing in the 2022 edition of the Australian Open, going out in the first round. She will be keen to perform better, and with a great start to the 2023 season, she is sure to do so.

Related: Who are Coco Gauff’s parents? Find out more about the American sensation family

A look at Coco Gauff’s mixed bag 2022 season

Coco Gauff

World Number 7 Coco Gauff had a disappointing end to the 2022 season. She could not win a set at the WTA Finals, crashing out in the group stage. The losses meant she ended the season on a five-match losing streak.

But all was not bad for her in 2022. The American reached the top ten and top 5 WTA rankings for the first time in her career. She also made a Grand Slam final, losing at the French Open to Iga Swiatek. Her most significant moment of the year was securing the World Number 1 rank in the doubles format, in which she won two titles.

Gauff will have a positive outlook for this season. Winning her first tournament of the year already represents a remarkable turnaround from the end of the last season. She would be determined to deliver at the Australian Open, which begins on the 16th of January.

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