Coco Gauff, the US Open reigning champion, will now go to the third round. (Photo by Charly Tribalel / AFP via Getty Images)
(Charly Triballeau via Getty Images)
US Open 2024 continued on Wednesday with a solid slate of tennis stars, notably Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic among those who strive by the title of Flushing Meadows.
The female and defending champions both had moments of discomfort – literally in the case of Djokovic – but both qualified in the third round without dropping a set.
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After a difficult first set, Gauff managed to win Tatjana Maria's victory in two sets, surviving the German player to the third round. Although Gauff was able to use her athletics to her advantage, Maria made him work in the first set, forcing her all around the field.
Gauff took the first match with relative ease, but quickly died in 2-1 after a very maria effort. Gauff finished things with a few solid games and finally took an advance of 5-3 after winning a long game with several equality breaks. Maria took advantage of a few uns forked mistakes to do it 5-4 and get in a GAUFF's advance match. Gauff then remained creative, obtaining the advantage after a delicate drop of drop in the inner corner.
At the point of filming, Gauff's confidence apparently hesitated, and it lost the advantage after another double fault, its seventh of the whole. A long rally at the breakdown was strangely interrupted by the electronic detection system, although the ball is well inside the line, forcing Gauff and Maria to replay the point. Finally, Gauff, visibly frustrated by her performance so far, has been able to take the first set after Maria hit the ball in the net.
Gauff was much stronger in the second set, quickly capturing the first three games. Maria made him work for the fourth, but Gauff was finally able to take the lead 4-0. Gauff, having largely tired Maria, 37, then took the following two games to win the 6-4, 6-0 match.
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GAUFF also fought against errors, making nine double defects and more than 20 unrefitted errors (mainly in the first set) to complicate what should have been an easy victory. In the end, however, Gauff was able to win the victory.
She was back on the training court a few minutes later.
Djokovic had a similar problem in the next match at the Arthur Ashe stadium, faced with a rigid test of his Serbian compatriot Laslo Djere in a 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 victory.
Djere appeared about to put a fear in Djokovic for two hours in a row, but continued to go up. Djokovic, who had coaches working on his chest at one point, saved three points of break in the first set before obtaining his own break to steal the first set.
Djere paused in the second set, but Djokovic responded with two consecutive breaks to catch another set. Once he increased 2-0 in the third, Djere retired from the match, having undergone a knee operation earlier this year.
In other big matches in the slate, the Americans Emma Navarro and Madison Keys both won victories in two sets to go to the third round. On the men's side, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will compete in a fully American third round match after the two won in the second round.
