American third seed Coco Gauff found her rhythm on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the U.S. Open third round. The victory provided a confidence boost after her early struggles in the tournament.
Gauff had been shaky in her opening match with a series of unforced errors and endured a difficult second-round win marked by serving issues and emotions on court. Against Frech, the 2023 champion maintained composure to overcome the 28th seed.
“It’s been an emotional week,” Gauff said. “I think I needed those tough moments to be able to move forward. I was putting so much pressure on myself.”
After the players exchanged early breaks, Gauff capitalized in the eighth game of the first set, celebrating as Frech sent a shot long on set point.
In the second set, Gauff outlasted Frech in a 20-shot rally to break in the third game and added another break to love in the fifth as her opponent’s unforced errors mounted.
From the baseline, Gauff dictated play in the final game and secured victory before acknowledging her supporters.
“Today showed I was really having fun out there,” Gauff said. “The support means a lot.”
With the win, Gauff advanced to the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows for the fourth consecutive year.
