Coco Gauff cruised into the third round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.
The sixth-seeded American approached the net 18 times, winning 15 of those points, in her second straight match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and she credited that newfound net game after struggling to beat German Laura Siegemund in three sets in the first round.
“I learned to be aggressive,” the 19-year-old Gauff said in her on-court interview. “I did well making her play off her back foot.”
Andreeva, at 16 the youngest woman in the tournament, previously reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the French, also losing to Gauff.
Gauff next faces 32nd-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium, who came back to beat American Danielle Collins 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-1.
Elsewhere in early action, 15th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland downed British qualifier Yuriko Lily Miyazaki 6-3, 6-3.
Next up on Ashe, Novak Djokovic faces Bernabe Zapata Miralles. No. 10 seed Frances Tiafoe also plays on Ashe against Sebastian Ofner, followed by Caroline Wozniacki against 11th-seeded Petra Kvitova.
Updates odds on Gauff and the U.S. Open
| Player |  |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Iga Swiatek | +240 | ||
| Aryna Sabalenka | +475 | ||
| Cori Gauff | +700 | ||
| Elena Rybakina | +800 | ||
| Jessica Pegula | +1,000 |
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