Coco Gauff Triumphs Despite 23 Double Faults at National Bank Open

Coco Gauff secured her first victory since winning the French Open, overcoming an uphill battle marked by 23 double faults. Gauff triumphed over fellow American Danielle Collins with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) in the second round of the National Bank Open held in Montreal on August 8, 2023. This match marked Gauff’s return to competition after a first-round exit at Wimbledon.

Gauff’s serving issues were evident throughout the match. She appeared to implement a change to her serving grip during her break from competition, which led to inconsistent performance. Some serves went long, while others were easily returned by the powerful Collins. Reflecting on her performance, Gauff expressed her frustration: “It was a frustrating match for me. I felt like I was practicing well and then I don’t think I transferred it today, but hopefully I got my bad match of the tournament out of the way and I can come back stronger in the next round.”

Last year’s U.S. Open title defense was similarly hampered by serving troubles, as Gauff committed 19 double faults in a fourth-round loss to Emma Navarro. Despite the challenges on serve, Gauff managed to end the match on a high note with an ace. Due to the withdrawal of top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff entered the tournament as the top seed.

In the next round, Gauff will face Veronika Kudermetova. After her lengthy match that lasted two hours and 55 minutes, Gauff noted that she could potentially reduce the match duration significantly if she improves her serving. “I felt that I was playing well except that part of my game,” Gauff stated. “But I felt like off the ground I was playing pretty well.”

Fernandez Critiques National Bank Open Scheduling

Canadian player Leylah Fernandez expressed dissatisfaction with the scheduling at the National Bank Open following her first-round exit. Just two days after winning the title in Washington, Fernandez lost to Australian Maya Joint in a swift match that ended 6-4, 6-1 within one hour and 15 minutes. The 24th-ranked player hoped for a more extended rest period before competing in Montreal.

Fernandez indicated that she had received assurances about playing in the night session, which would have allowed her extra recovery time. “I did not receive that,” she said, emphasizing her disappointment. “That hurt me because I was very looking forward to playing at night, but I guess it’s a little bit political issues at that point.”

Top Players Advance in Montreal

In other matches, top-seeded Alejandro Zverev secured a victory against Adam Walton with a score of 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. This was Zverev’s first match since his unexpected first-round exit at Wimbledon, where he lost to Arthur Rinderknech. Zverev, the third-ranked player but top seed in this tournament after the withdrawal of both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, noted the significance of a crucial point in the tiebreaker. “It was a very important moment and a very important point for me,” he explained.

Third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti also advanced, defeating Australian qualifier James Duckworth 7-5, 6-1, while fifth-seeded Holger Rune triumphed over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with a score of 7-6 (9-7), 6-3. The tournament features all seeded players receiving a first-round bye, with significant withdrawals from high-profile competitors such as Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic.

As the competition continues, Gauff’s performance and the outcomes of other top players will be closely watched as they prepare for the upcoming matches and the challenges of the U.S. Open that lies ahead.