NEW YORK : Coco Gauff beat Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-2 7-6(4) to warm up Arthur Ashe Stadium court for Serena Williams, who was scheduled to play what could be the final singles match of her career under the lights on Wednesday.The 18-year-old Gauff clawed back from 5-3 down in the second set to reach the third round and claim her second consecutive win on the world's largest stage for tennis, the 23,771-capacity crown jewel of Flushing Meadows.
Gauff was viewed as a possible heir apparent to the Williams sisters when as a 15-year-old she stunned Venus in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019.
Her best result at a Grand Slam so far was reaching the French Open final in June. "It's a really big court and I've been watching Venus here, Serena here and now I'm playing here," Gauff said in an on-court interview. "It's an honour to open up the court for her tonight."Next up for the 12th seeded Gauff is a meeting with hard-hitting fellow American Madison Keys after she won a tense third set tiebreaker to see off Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-4 5-7 7-6(6).
The loss is sure to sting for Giorgi, who served for the match while leading 5-2 in the third set but could not close it out and committed a flurry of errors in the tiebreak.