In a significant accomplishment, Coco Gauff successfully reached the third round of the Italian Open after defeating Czech teenager Tereza Valentova 6-3, 6-4 at the Foro Italico in Rome on Thursday.
Defending French Open champion Coco Gauff led towards victory in one hour and 34 minutes, receiving the 18th career victory at the venue under her belt.
Gauff broke Valentova’s serve six times; however, she struggled with her own serve, recording seven double faults during the match.
Gauff kicked off strongly, successfully winning the first four games of the opening set before closing it out 6-3. Valentova also came back stronger in the second set, scoring 3-3 and again at 4-4, but Gauff won the final two games to seal the straight-sets victory.
Following the victory, Gauff admitted adjusting to the conditions in Rome after her recent run at the Madrid Open.
She stated the altitude difference affected her serve and indicated she may require it to reduce her racket tension.
The 22-year-old also reflected on recovering from illness during the Madrid tournament, stating she now feels physically stronger heading deeper into the clay-court season.
Coco Gauff is now set to face Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the third round.
