New York, USA – e be like say tennis no wan gree relax for this US Open, as home girl Coco Gauff don shakey handle her serve wahala but still manage to beat Ajla Tomljanovic from Australia for first round.
Gauff wey be third seed, no fit show herself clear for court as she comot win with score 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5 in almost three hours during Tuesday night session for Flushing Meadows. Wetin concern her serve still dey chop her time, since dem dey vex her small small since this tournament start (abi na serve and vex go make am or break am?).
Days before she enter this Grand Slam wey everybody dey look gree for, Gauff don change her team (like say na football we dey play), she sack her coach Matt Daly and carry biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan come onboard. This MacMillan guy don help plenty players wey dey struggle with serve – make we see if e go fit turn Gauff serve matter around.
As she sabi say e no easy for am, Gauff talk say, “E been dey tough, chance to win dey well but I catch am small, and I dey happy say I don survive this match.” Na wetin e mean say, she try and she fit still improve as she dey work on her service. After her last match wey she do 16 double faults, she just decide say enough don reach – change go happen fast fast!
For the same match, Gauff serve come dey face serious pressure, she even break serve six times and hit 10 double faults (nobody perfect, abeg). She complain say sometimes e be like say serve dey misbehave when she wan finish match at 5-4 in last set. Tomljanovic no gree make her go like that, she comeback break. But Gauff try again and wey she take advice from MacMillan, Gauff shake her serve small and finally hold serve with safer tactic. E be like say light don finally shine for the dark!
Her celebration after she win be easy to see – she dey roar like lion! Chris Evert, wey don win plenty major titles, talk say Gauff gatcha confidence matter, but at least she don win this match.
For other side of court, world number two Iga Swiatek don carry 2022 US Open title defend come strong! She slay Colombia’s Emiliana Arango with straight set victory wey be 6-1, 6-2. Na as she dey hit 26 winners wey dey pass Arango 5. No doubt, Swiatek don prepare herself well for this tournament.
Swiatek no face break point at all throughout the match and she dey tell everyone say, “First matches no easy to find rhythm, but I dey turn ok.” This babe show say she dey ready to dominate again, as she don warm up with win for Cincinnati Open before this US Open.
As she dey para enter second round, she go face Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens. E no go easy but with her form, she fit just well.
Eighth seed Amanda Anisimova, wey dey try to come back after her wahala for Wimbledon, don carry match clear as she beat Kim Birrell 6-3, 6-2. Dem go dey move for second round, chukhandu inside Australian teenager Maya Joint.
But not everyone go shine, as Danielle Collins don collect early exit for two years straight, losing sharp sharp to Romanian Jacqueline Cristian with 6-2, 6-0. Gaskiya, no be small wahala as she dey face back injury problem!
Meanwhile, two-time champion Naomi Osaka, wey dey seeded 23rd, don glide pass Belgium’s Greet Minnen with ease as well 6-3, 6-4, while Diana Shnaider, wey be 20th seed, don pack her load after Laura Siegemund beat am 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-3. E don be long day under the sun for some players, but we still dey chop batede as the tournament dey go! Stay tuned, my people!
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