Will it click on for Coco Gauff? May she have an important Australian Open? Jonathan Overend believes world No 3 can raise title in Melbourne | Tennis Information

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

Gauff, who begins her marketing campaign in opposition to Fifty fifth-ranked Uzbek Kamilla ​Rakhimova on Monday, will deliver a lot ‍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 via 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 america attain the semi-finals of the mixed-team event.

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

“I wish to give it my all in every match,” she stated. “I really feel like that stemmed from my serve, having good days and actually dangerous days. ‍The extra that stroke turns into extra constant, the extra my outcomes will turn 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 the earth 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 appears to be like to be the large challenger on the prime of the rankings.

Can Gauff clear up her technical difficulties?

Sky Sports activities commentator Jonathan Overend admits being “fascinated” by Gauff and firmly believes she might clear up her technical difficulties underneath 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 someday type out these technical difficulties which have stored the dialog going during the last couple of years,” stated Overend.

“Not a Gauff match goes by with no point out of her second serve or her forehand and it is inevitable and in addition comprehensible as a result of it is there for all to see.

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

“The thought of Gauff going her total profession with out discovering an answer to 2 elementary elements of the game is unthinkable in my thoughts. It’ll click on!

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

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

“It may not be this 12 months however might she have an important Australian Open? Completely, she might.

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

‘Wimbledon is her greatest problem’

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

He stated: “Wimbledon would be the greatest problem due to the way in which the ball fizzes via 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 someday discover a manner. She’s not going to face there being performed off the courtroom at Wimbledon her total profession and nonetheless assume it is nonetheless the fitting technique to play that shot.

“The place did the large break occur for Coco Gauff? When she was 15 and she or he 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 someday it can all come collectively and when it does, will probably be scary as a result of this can be 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 degree of maturity not often seen for somebody so younger, Gauff delivered one of many biggest successful speeches in 2023 following her victory from a set down in opposition to Aryna Sabalenka – silencing doubters who stated 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 truthfully, 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 shiny proper now,” she stated.

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

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