Coco Gauff of the United States reacts during a press conference ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Coco Gauff survived a huge scare in her opening match in Indian Wells and then pondered a compelling dilemma in her post match press conference.
Third seed Gauff survived a scare against world number 47 Clara Burel, winning 2-6 6-3 7-6 (4).
Coco Gauff looked to be heading out when she went a set and a break down but rallied and triumphed in a deciding set tie-break.
She then faced some challenging questions in her press conference, as a journalist asked the soon-to-be 20-year-old to pick her ideal dinner date.
“That’s a good question,” said Gauff. “Probably between Beyonce or Rihanna, that’s tough.
“I’m going to go with Rihanna, just because I would love to hear how, like, she started Fenty Beauty, because that was kind of one of the first makeup brands to provide a full shade range of foundation for all skin tones.
“So, yeah, and how she kind of like navigated the business side of things, which obviously Beyonce has an amazing hair brand that just came out too. So I don’t know.”
Gauff would have been relieved to be answering such jovial questions after she was served up a huge test from big-hitting Burel.
The reigning US Open champion looked to be on the way out of the competition for long periods of the match, but she found a way to come through.
“The last tournaments I have done well usually I have a tough opening first round, especially with the biggest one was US Open,” reflected Gauff.
“I think for me it’s just getting through that match definitely meant a lot. Could have easily thrown in the towel.
“Honestly, I was just telling myself, like, win or lose, I don’t want to have any regrets on the court. I want to be like I gave myself the best opportunity to win, and I did that.
“Am I proud of how I played? Not really, to be honest. But the fight, I am proud of. I am eager to improve.
“I think it wasn’t my best tennis at all. I think I just have a lot of improvement that I can do to get better.”
Coco Gauff also reflected on her upcoming birthday, as she will turn 20 on Wednesday, but she admits birthdays are hard to toast when you are in the midst of a big tournament.
“I really haven’t celebrated that much since I’ve been playing professional tennis, just because this tournament always falls on my birthday> she added.
“Sometimes we go to dinner, but, you know, don’t know when I’m going to play. So yeah, we’ll just — we’ll do a dinner but probably not on the actual day. Maybe at the end of the tournament.
“I’m not a huge, birthday fan. I obviously love celebrating, but, you know, I’m not the partying, go-out type. I don’t have anything planned.”
Coco Gauff will need to improve aspects of her serve and all-round game if she is to make extended progress at Indian Wells as she came up short in many aspects of her game against Burel.
Her next match will come against Italy’s world No 53 Lucia Bronzetti, where Gauff will again have the support of big Americac crowds.
