HISTORY: Gauff, 15, Wimbledon-Bound

[Grossefavourite]

Coco is really poised and creative at net.

[Grossefavourite]

"I hope they (people watching) learned about me that I'm a fighter," she said. "I'll never give up. I hope they learned from me that... anything is possible if you work hard, just continue to dream big.

"I learned a lot. I learned how to play in front of a big crowd, I learned what it was like to be under pressure. I learned a lot and I'm really thankful for this experience.

"Definitely, I would say my attitude on the court, continuing to fight for every point, that definitely helped me win the last three matches. I think if I keep that up, I'll keep doing well."

[Ace2Ace]

I think Coco lost because of a wrong strategy. In her previous match, she was not trying to hit big forehands. Rather she scooped the balls up deep from that side to push back her opponent, and was only striking it big from the backhand.

In this match, I think she was told not to push the forehand high because Halep was gonna have fun with it.
So in the middle of the tournament, they tried to change her game. Wrong.
She went for the big forehands and missed most of them. They should have let her play her game for now, then work on the forehand later at practice.

Halep was better because Coco was gifting her too many forehand Unforced errors. This should be a lesson for all coaches. Don't try to fundamentally alter your young player's game in the middle of a tournament.
Had Coco stayed with her winning formula, i have no doubt she would have done better against Halep.
The girl is good.

You know I used to call her Queen of Double-Fault after watching some of her youtube videos? Well, they did an excellent job fixing that. Her serve is ready for the big show. The first serve has become bigger and more accurate. And the 2nd serve very stable. Result: she doesn't hit 8-10 DF per set anymore.

I am sure they'll work on that forehand. She also has to learn to look for lobs. She barely attempted any, even though she has plenty of opportunities.
Her net game is mature, better than the ones from many of the top players. She is definitely doing the right thing, one shot at a time.

[rex]

I duly hope people on this planet do not react like some of those posters on the Tennis forum who are overreacting to Cori's Wimby run, saying that she's not that good and that she's unjustly over-hyped. Over-hyped by whom? She's "neither". She's gotten media attention because she's making a run at Wimby that hasn't been done by a 15 year old since 1991, making a run at one of the most prestigious events on the Tour, Wimbledon, which became "the story" for the event as a 14 year old at the start of the year, turned 15 in March. She's the equivalent of a freshman/sophomore in HS, not a senior of such and is on tourney restrictions for the next 3 years 'til she reaches age 18. This is her reaction to this new-found attention, expected reactions from basically a kid, as yet:



This is where Cori is as a 15 year old "star-struck teenager", mentally and emotionally, while signing autographs, taking selfies with grown adults and kids at Wimby, playing, composed/poised tennis that one doesn't see for the most part from established, seasoned vets and other young players, like Ostapenko and Sabalenka, who gift badly, recklessly and often, lacking court discipline, whipping themselves more so than their opponent. I, for one, am not going to project Cori's future, for I've come to the conclusion that women players, with one "glaring exception" (Serena), plus, I might add, the now-retired Belgians, Kim and Justine, "don't mature" over their careers, but continue as they are, not learning from mistakes, nor correcting same, but continue to be just as inconsistent and error laden/prone as they were as youngsters, in addition to being emotionally and mentally "fragile", needing the worthless on-court coaching to assuage their fluttering confidence, which will change merely with a break of serve.

Cori, tho', is a little different. However, I'm not getting carried away for her tennis record is spotty up to this point. She reached the qtrs at Charleston, losing to Taylor in 3, and lost to the 18 year old Kajan Juvan at the French qualies by 6-3 scores in 2, who gave Serena a nice match in the lst round here at Wimby. Cori has a lot of lst rd dismissals, but that's okay for she's clearly in growth mode. Well-spoken in her Wimby pressers, mother has done a great job home-schooling her. Tennis-wise, most impressed by her court demeanor, didn't recklessly gift in any of her matches I've seen here at Wimby (didn't see qualies), court coverage was o/s, composure better than a host of players on this Tour, including some top-10ers. Her serve will be more of a weapon as she matures physically, generating a lot of aces like Venus at age 18. Will grow more in height, I believe, and if she grows to the height of Venus or Petra K with her court coverage she can be a dynamo on defense, like Venus in her prime. Her ground game is already disciplined, can play the net (volley) and slice with the best of them. Her forehand will flatten out in time, for many 14/15 year olds have loopy returns at that age. Right now, she can be overpowered, just as Hercog and Halep did today, Juvan likely did at the French, I assume, given her physical presence, but they (Hercog and Halep) are grown-matured women, while Cori is still a young girl, hardly a physically matured woman in her prime. Thus, they dictated most of the rallies, but Cori hung in well with them, hardly overwhelmed.

The next few weeks leading up to the USO will be hectic for Cori, tv appearances on talk shows, radio interviews on black radio and other sport talk shows are in the offing. Her parents are going to have to filter this nonsense out for their "star-struck" daughter, especially in social media, and, hopefully, not exploit the attention for gain at her expense. I'm expecting maindraw WCs for her at San Jose, Cincy and the USO as the Tour shifts to the States after Wimby, but not knowing what her tourney restrictions are at the moment. Nice foundation she has at the moment and, hopefully, her career and development will be managed properly as it unfolds. Will be keeping tabs, as many.....

[Mytiwtiw]

LOL Coco good only for the likes of Hercog. Hahaha

[Mytiwtiw]

That was a long one rex, no one gonna read that . Coco nothing but a overhyped " Hercog slayer"

[Graveller]

That was a long one rex, no one gonna read that . Coco nothing but a overhyped " Hercog slayer"

And that is why you never gain new/other insights on tennis.

I am always interested in someone else's point of view. I may not always agree with their opinion on the facts, but at least you are not stuck in your own bubble/echo chamber. Reading different opinions with the attention that they deserve, is always a challenge to your own points of view . The voice that tells you "Maria will dominate", in probably the echo of your own voice in a lonely room.

I agree with a lot that Rex said on Coru, though I see some other players that have worked on their weaknesses to some extent: Halep is the first one that comes to mind, and imo, Svitolina also worked on becoming a different player over the years.

[djmm1962]

Coco already has an agent ~ Mary Jo's husband at IMG!! Another ESPN connection!!

[Grossefavourite]

Coco already has an agent ~ Mary Jo's husband at IMG!! Another ESPN connection!!

Hope she's paying attention to what's happening with Zverev and Osaka.

[djmm1962]

What's happening with Osaka?? I heard the Japanese are doing her extremely well?!