By Jovonne Ledet
(Source Black Information Network):
American tennis star Coco Gauff won her first-round match at the U.S. Open after expressing frustrations over her opponent’s slow play.
On Monday (August 28), No. 6 ranked Gauff faced Germany’s Laura Siegemund during the 2023 U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, per Fox News.
Siegemund won the first set 6-3 but consistently kept a slow pace of play throughout the duration of the match. Gauff took the second set 6-2 and was dominating the third set with a 3-0 lead before she let out her frustrations to the chair umpire over Siegmund’s slow play.
“She’s never ready when I’m serving, she went over to talk like four times, you only gave her a time violation once, how is this fair?” Gauff told the umpire.
Seemingly dissatisfied with the chair umpire’s response, Gauff continued, “No, you’re calling the score after the point is over, it’s not like we’re playing long points. You’re calling the score like six seconds after the point is over!”
“She can’t [go back] every single point,” she added. “And everybody in this crowd knows I’ve been quiet this whole match…That first set, it was like every point. I didn’t say nothing, but now it’s ridiculous. I don’t care what she’s putting on her serves, on my serves she has to be ready.”
The call-out came after Siegemund appeared to consistently signal she wasn’t ready for Gauff’s serves. The German tennis player also seemed to take her time before throwing the ball in the air for her serves.
Gauff ultimately took the third set 6-4, advancing her to the second round against Mirra Andreeva.
