Gauff Victorious at National Bank Open After Wimbledon Absence

MONTREAL: Following her appearance in the French Open final, Coco Gauff marked a successful return by defeating fellow American Danielle Collins in a compelling match at the National Bank Open. The second-round encounter concluded with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2) in Gauff’s favor.

Gauff, who had been absent from competition since her early exit at Wimbledon, displayed an apparent modification to her serving technique. This adjustment, however, presented challenges during the match, resulting in inconsistent serves that either landed long or were easily exploited by Collins.

The contest extended to nearly three hours before Gauff secured her place in the third round. Despite committing 23 double faults and 74 unforced errors, the French Open champion managed to overcome Collins in their inaugural professional face-off.

Gauff acknowledged her performance was subpar, stating she had been practicing extensively and anticipates improved play in the subsequent round.

“The match proved frustrating. My practice sessions have been productive, but I didn’t execute effectively today. I hope this was the low point of the tournament, allowing me to return with greater strength in the next round,” Gauff stated.

She further noted that her performance in the second set deviated from her practice routine, but she felt she played well otherwise.

“Aside from that particular aspect of my game, I believe my overall performance was strong,” Gauff commented. “I felt like my groundstrokes were executed quite well.”