Coco Gauff survives stiff test from Laura Siegemund to advance out of first round at U.S. Open

She wasn’t going to let it happen again.

Coco Gauff wasn’t going to let herself suffer another first-round defeat in a Grand Slam tournament this year, not in front of this star-studded New York crowd which included everyone from Mike Tyson to former President Barak Obama.  Gauff had come to far to go through that kind of pain again. She had worked too hard to put that first round loss in Wimbledon behind her.

And so, after losing the first set of her first match at the U.S. Open to Laura Siegemund, a 36-year-old German ranked 121st in the world, Gauff knew she had to find a way to seize what she believed should be hers.

It took her all of 26 minutes to do exactly that as she broke Siegemund in a marathon first game of the second set before going on to secure the first-round win 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

“It was a tough match,” Gauff said in her on court interview. “I wasn’t playing my best tennis. Laura isn’t easy. She fights to the end. I was able to overcome that and overcome a lot of adversity.”

Gauff, the No. 6 player in the world, had been on a hot streak since losing to Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon. Since that early exit, she had hired a new coach, won 11 of 12 matches and her two biggest titles — both on hardcourts in Washington and Cincinnati.

There was much talk heading into the Open that this would be the year that the 19-year-old American would finally win a Grand Slam tournament, the year that she would finish the season by winning it all at the U.S. Open.

So it was a bit of a shocker when Gauff looked lost in the first set as she struggled to deal with Siegemund’s unpredictable style which included repeatedly rushing to the net.

There were warning signs early in the first set that Siegemund was going to be trouble. With the first set tied, 1-1, Gauff had to hit three aces, including one on break point, to save her serve. After Siegemund broke Gauff to take a 3-2 lead, the American teenager appeared to be stunned. Siegemund took advantage and broke her again in the final game of the set.

Gauff turned the tables in the second set. The German managed to survive seven break points in the first game before losing it on the eighth. After that, Gauff was clearly in charge though both players at times came close to losing their cool, arguing with the umpire about how long Siegemund was taking to serve.

Few fans at Arthur Ashe expected to see Siegemund give Gauff this kind of game. Known primarily for her doubles play, Siegemund had to win three qualifying matches  to reach the main draw.

Yet, Siegemund entered the game with the knowledge that it was possible to beat the American tennis phenom. In their only other meeting when Gauff was just 15, Siegemund beat her, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, in the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland in 2020.

“She’s a great player,’ Siegemund said when asked her game strategy. “I’ll try my best to give her a battle.”

For one tough set, she did exactly that.

By Barbara Barker

barbara.barker@newsday.commeanbarb

Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.