By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, January 5, 2025
Photograph credit score: Andy Cheung/Getty
Coco Gauff took transition tennis to new heights Down Underneath.
Shifting from protection to offense fantastically, Gauff grounded Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 staking the USA to a 1-0 lead over Poland within the United Cup Last in Sydney. Taylor Fritz fought off Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to seal Crew USA’s 2-0 triumph and its second United Cup championship within the final three years.
Pegula: Swiatek Case Evokes Religion and Frustration
“I positively assume that is one among my finest tennis efficiency, particularly in in the present day’s match, was a high-level match,” Gauff informed the media in Sydney. “I believe each of us have been enjoying effectively.”
Persevering with her late 2024 season-surge, Gauff earned United Cup MVP honors going undefeated for Crew USA.
It is Gauff’s second straight win over Swiatek following her 6-3, 6-4 sweep en path to the WTA Finals championship final November.
In Riyadh, Gauff conquered US Open finalist Jessica Pegula, No. 2 Swiatek, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic gold-medal champion Zheng Qinwen in succession.
Up to now, Swiatek handled Gauff’s forehand as a pinata, pounding that weaker wing till it broke. That tactic helped Swiatek win 11 of her first 13 conferences vs. Gauff, together with a stinging 6-1, 6-3 sweep within the 2022 Roland Garros closing.
Working with coach Matt Daly, Gauff has modified her excessive western grip forehand a bit and is displaying the ability to shorten up her expansive takeback on hard-hit balls. Gauff not solely hung robust in forehand exchanges, she hit some wonderful forehand down the road strikes as method photographs, one thing she not often did vs. Swiatek in years previous.
So is that this United Cup win a turning level in a rivalry that when appeared as lopsided as Serena vs. Maria?
Has Gauff actually solved the Swiatek puzzle that plagued her for years?
Swiatek says not so quick.
The world No. 2, who performed with taping wrapping her proper thigh, mentioned she was not one hundred pc match, however praised Gauff for enjoying “wonderful” tennis.
“I am for positive blissful, as a result of, , I performed some heavy hitters as effectively this week and in addition some ladies that performed robust,” mentioned Swiatek, who beat Katie Boulter, Karolina Muchova and former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. “I used to be in a position to play towards each actually nice tennis.
“For positive in the present day I wasn’t in a position to give 100%. Coco additionally performed wonderful, , and he or she’s for positive bettering. However general I am actually pleased with the week. I really feel like issues I labored on actually improved. However then again, like, , this week, Australian Open is a unique story, so nonetheless I am gonna do the whole lot step-by-step and proceed the work that I’ve been doing.”
One outcome yielded two barely completely different views.
World No. 3 Gauff believes if she will play this degree of dynamic tennis, she will cease anybody on the planet, together with the 2 reigning Grand Slam champions ranked forward of her.
I’ve the idea that I am among the best gamers on the planet and after I play good tennis I am exhausting to beat,” Gauff mentioned. “At present I believe I performed some nice tennis. I am glad I used to be in a position to get some extent for Crew USA.”
