Gauff wins second round match over Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Coco Gauff his the ball during her U.S. Open second-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday. Credit: Errol Anderson
Coco Gauff’s bid to win her first Grand Slam took another step forward Wednesday when she defeated Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the U.S. Open.
The win sets up an All-American third round match as Gauff, the No. 12 seed, will take on 20th-ranked Madison Keys next. Keys defeated Camila Giorgi in a tight match, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6).
The two Americans met earlier in the year in the semifinals of the Adelaide International. Keys came back to win that match, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
“It’s not going to be an easy match,” Gauff said of Keys. “She’s a big hitter.”
"I think it's gong to be another match where we are both big hitters and we're both going to try to be the aggressors," said Keys. "I look forward to it."
Gauff, 18, is the second-youngest player left in the women’s draw yet is viewed as one of the favorites to win it all, along with top seed Iga Swiatek.
Gauff has never gone beyond the third round of U.S. Open, but expectations skyrocketed this year when she made it all the way to the final of the French Open. Gauff lost to Swiatek, 6-1, 6-1 at Roland Garros. The two are on opposite ends of the draw here and there’s nothing fans would love more than to see a rematch in the Finals.
Serena and Venus in night doubles: Serena and Venus Williams will make history again Thursday night when they become the first doubles team to open up first-round play at night on Arthur Ashe. The two, who are playing their first doubles match together since 2018, will take on Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
