NEW YORK — Coco Gauff cruised into the third round of the US Open on Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.
The sixth-seeded American approached the net 18 times, winning 15 of those points, in her second straight match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and she credited that newfound net game after struggling to beat German Laura Siegemund in three sets in the first round. «I learned to be aggressive,» Gauff said in her on-court interview. «I did well making her play off her back foot.» Andreeva, at 16 the youngest woman in the tournament, previously reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the French, also losing to Gauff.
Gauff, 19, next faces 32nd-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium, who came back to beat American Danielle Collins 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-1.
Elsewhere in early action, 15th-seeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland downed British qualifier Yuriko Lily Miyazaki 6-3, 6-3.