Cori Gauff: 'I don't feel pressure as long as I keep my composure'
A week after turning 15, the super talented American Cori Gauff has earned the maiden WTA win in Miami, toppling the fellow teenager Caty McNally 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court 7 to become the first player born in 2004 with the WTA victory. Ever since she reached the final of the junior US Open in 2017 at the age of 13, Cori has been one of the biggest prospects in women's tennis, notching the first pro win last year and winning junior Roland Garros title as one of the youngest players ever to achieve that. Gauff grabbed the US Open doubles crown with McNally and she ended the junior career (at the age of 14!) after winning Orange Bowl near her home in Florida, setting eyes on pro success in 2019.
After facing each other on the junior level in some crucial matches, Gauff and McNally fought until the very last point today on the big stage of Miami Open, with Cori prevailing after almost two and a half hours, winning three points more than Caty and prevailing with one extra break on her tally. The older player secured the opener set and Cori fought well in the second to climb back and set a decider where McNally won three games in a row to open a 4-2 advantage. Serving in the seventh game, she wasted three game points to extend the lead and that proved to be the crucial moment of the match, with Gauff breaking back and rattling off 15 of the last 18 points to cross the finish line first and achieve her maiden WTA win in front of the family and friends.
"I had a lot of people supporting me, on the stadium, back at home and at the Academy, it was a pretty sweet moment. Caty and I know each other very well, I knew how good her tennis is, I remember I was done the whole match against her at the French Open, I reflected back to that and cheering myself. She had a lot of game points to move 5-2 up in the decider and I just kept fighting, feeling proud that I managed to keep the composure because that's something I have been working on.
I like when people talk about me as the new big star of the American tennis and a Grand Slam contender, I like to hear my name on Tennis Channel. I don't feel the pressure from the outside and my mindset works in the way that nothing is going to happen if I lose as long as I keep my composure. You can't play your best tennis every day but the one thing you can control is the way you act on the court. If my rival tops me on the court that's fine but I have to control my attitude and play like it is a practice match."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Jx1H85
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