The sight of a forlorn Coco Gauff hitting serves in the rain on the US Open practice courts became the defining image of her struggles last year.
The serving yips were undermining the two-time major champion's talent. Staying out in the persistent drizzle was a sign of how desperate she had become to iron out the major flaw in her game.
Twelve months on, the 22-year-old American has returned to the US Open with a rejuvenated service game - and it was the bedrock of her 6-3 6-4 win over Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez in the New York first round on Tuesday.
Gauff starting with a swift hold to love set the tone for a dominant first set, then used her opening shot to get her out of trouble when Sonmez threatened to go a break up in the second set.
"Now it's like I can look back a year on and think, 'Oh, wow, it's a big difference'," said Gauff, who is seeded fourth at Flushing Meadows this year.
#sonmez #major
The serving yips were undermining the two-time major champion's talent. Staying out in the persistent drizzle was a sign of how desperate she had become to iron out the major flaw in her game.
Twelve months on, the 22-year-old American has returned to the US Open with a rejuvenated service game - and it was the bedrock of her 6-3 6-4 win over Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez in the New York first round on Tuesday.
Gauff starting with a swift hold to love set the tone for a dominant first set, then used her opening shot to get her out of trouble when Sonmez threatened to go a break up in the second set.
"Now it's like I can look back a year on and think, 'Oh, wow, it's a big difference'," said Gauff, who is seeded fourth at Flushing Meadows this year.
#sonmez #major
2 months ago
