Coco Gauff scrapes through to US Open second round

By Eleanor Crooks, PA Sport Correspondent, New York

Coco Gauff battled through more serving problems to scrape into the second round of the US Open.

The French Open champion changed her coaching team on the eve of the tournament, adding biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan in an effort to fix her serving issues.

Gauff hit 10 more double faults under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but avoided a repeat of her first-round Wimbledon exit, eventually defeating Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4 6-7 (2) 7-5 after two hours and 57 minutes.

“Mentally it’s exhausting, but I’m trying,” said Gauff of her attempts to improve her serve. “It wasn’t the best today, but at 30-30 (in the last game) it came in when it mattered. It’s an improvement.

“It was a tough match. I had chances for it to be straight sets. Ajla was tough, I felt like she was getting so many balls back. I’m happy to get through to the next round. I had so many chances. I was like, ‘eventually they’re going to come’.”

Gauff led 4-2 in the second set before losing three games in a row and then served for the match at 5-4 in the decider only to double-fault twice in a row.

But the third seed broke Tomljanovic again to give herself a second chance and this time she took it, roaring after hitting a backhand winner down the line on match point to set up a second-round clash with Donna Vekic.

Iga Swiatek set a new record with a dominant first-round victory over Emiliana Arango.

The Wimbledon champion continued her impressive summer form with a 6-1 6-2 stroll against Colombian Arango and has now won her opening match at 65 consecutive tournaments, breaking the previous open era record set by Monica Seles.

While the Pole is seeded second behind Aryna Sabalenka, she appears to be the player to beat at Flushing Meadows, having followed up her Wimbledon triumph by winning the big WTA event in Cincinnati last week.

Swiatek seemed more excited about news of Taylor Swift’s engagement than her own victory, but she was happy to have made a confident start.

“First matches are always a bit different, so I’m happy that I had some time to just get used to the conditions and the surface, because for sure it’s different than the practice courts,” said the Pole, who won her only title here in 2022 and next faces Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens.

“I think it was just a solid match, and so I’m happy that I can play another round here.”

Naomi Osaka, who is seeded again at a grand slam for the first time since before her maternity break, moved into round two with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Greet Minnen, while Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova beat Kimberly Birrell 6-3 6-2.

Tournament organisers announced, meanwhile, that Venus Williams, who impressed in a first-round defeat against Karolina Muchova on Monday, will play in the women’s doubles with Leylah Fernandez.