Will it click for Coco Gauff? Could she have a gre...

Will it click on for Coco Gauff? Jonathan Overend believes the American world No 3 can have an ideal Australian Open and raise the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in Melbourne.

Gauff, who begins her marketing campaign towards Fifty fifth-ranked Uzbek Kamilla ​Rakhimova on Monday, will convey loads ‍of swagger after her French Open win final 12 months, her second main title after the US Open in 2023.

However the tenacious 21-year-old is aware of the subsequent step is to ship high-quality performances constantly as she goals to iron out steady points together with her forehand and second serve by way of the assistance of a biomechanics coach.

The 21-year-old arrives with momentum from the United Cup, the place she received three of 4 ‌matches to assist the USA attain the semi-finals of the mixed-team match.

Nevertheless, her serve stays a priority and he or she continues to provide too many double faults. ​The American has 28 thus far this 12 months already.

“I wish to give it my all in every match,” she mentioned. “I really feel like that stemmed from my serve, having good days and actually unhealthy days. ‍The extra that stroke turns into extra constant, the extra my outcomes will change into extra constant.”

The American might meet the legendary Venus Williams within the second spherical of the Australian Open though the seven-time Grand Slam winner is ranked down at No 576 on this planet due to her restricted time on the tour.

They first performed one another when Gauff was aged 15 at Wimbledon. A 6-4 6-4 victory noticed {the teenager} announce herself to the world.

However Gauff now has world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No 2 Iga Swiatek in her sights as she seems to be the large challenger on the high of the rankings.

Can Gauff resolve her technical difficulties?

Sky Sports activities commentator Jonathan Overend admits being “fascinated” by Gauff and firmly believes she might resolve her technical difficulties beneath long-time coach Jean-Christophe ‘JC’ Faurel and Gavin MacMillan – employed to repair her serve.

“The Coco Gauff story continues and that is as a result of from my agency perception she is going to at some point type out these technical difficulties which have saved the dialog going during the last couple of years,” mentioned Overend.

“Not a Gauff match goes by with out a point out of her second serve or her forehand and it is inevitable and likewise comprehensible as a result of it is there for all to see.

“However I firmly imagine it is a case of when she kinds that out – not if she kinds it out.

“The concept of Gauff going her whole profession with out discovering an answer to 2 elementary components of the game is unthinkable in my thoughts. It’s going to click on!

“She’s handled challenges and overcome adversities all her life. When it occurs, oh my goodness, what a participant we’ll have and it might be this 12 months. That is the actually thrilling factor for Gauff.

“She’s received two Grand Slams and change into a longtime participant with two huge technical weaknesses and the joy has to drive her when the options are discovered and the reply in my thoughts is world No 1.

“It won’t be this 12 months however might she have an ideal Australian Open? Completely, she might.

“She’s already received the French Open and the US Open in her profession and he or she might once more. That leaves Wimbledon and the grass courts. Let’s have a look at if she is to win all 4 majors over the course of her profession.”

‘Wimbledon is her greatest problem’

Overend feels Wimbledon will likely be a major hurdle for Gauff attributable to her game-style and the character of the quick courts on the All-England Membership.

He mentioned: “Wimbledon would be the greatest problem due to the best way the ball fizzes by way of low, flat, skids onto the forehand and provides her such little response time and a shot which wants good preparation, in order that’s a difficulty.

“We come again to the purpose of she is going to at some point discover a approach. She’s not going to face there being performed off the court docket at Wimbledon her whole profession and nonetheless suppose it is nonetheless the proper technique to play that shot.

“The place did the large break occur for Coco Gauff? When she was 15 and he or she beat Venus Williams and made the spherical of 16 – it was at Wimbledon! It is humorous the way it goes.

“The Slam now seen as her weakest is the one the place the large breakthrough occurred, so she has to imagine that at some point it’s going to all come collectively and when it does, it is going to be scary as a result of it is a participant who might dominate and be Sabalenka’s huge rival this 12 months.”

The rise of the American teenager to Grand Slam glory

Gauff turned the primary American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999.

Already famend for a stage of maturity hardly ever seen for somebody so younger, Gauff delivered one of many best successful speeches in 2023 following her victory from a set down towards Aryna Sabalenka – silencing doubters who mentioned a Grand Slam title would by no means come.

“I’ve tried my finest to hold this with grace and I have been doing my finest so actually, to those that thought you had been placing water on my hearth, you are actually including gasoline to it. And now I am actually burning so vibrant proper now,” she mentioned.

Within the build-up she had received a WTA 500 stage title in Washington – which she backed up with a prestigious WTA 1000 Cincinnati title – earlier than her Flushing Meadows success.

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