By the numbers: Gauff takes 11 of final 12 video games to deal with Townsend in Paris opener

Defending Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff is thru to the second spherical. In a routine 6-4, 6-0 win over American compatriot Taylor Townsend, Gauff advances to the Round of 64 in Paris for the seventh consecutive match.

Roland Garros: Scores | Order of play | Draws 

Tuesday’s first-round assembly marked their first between Gauff and Townsend on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, although Townsend edged the then 15-year-old Gauff, now 22, in three units at a W100 in Charleston, South Carolina in May 2019. Fast ahead seven years, and the reigning French Open champion entered because the presumed favourite towards Townsend, who has no longer superior previous the primary spherical in Paris since 2018. 

“When I saw it was going to be hot, I definitely think it’s something I do well in and can thrive in a bit because of growing up in Florida,” Gauff stated to press. “I know some people try to practice early, but I try to sometimes practice in the prime of the day, even if it’s shorter, just to get used to, because you never know.”

Gauff will face Egypt’s Mayar Sherif within the second spherical on Thursday. 

By the numbers, listed here are the important thing stats and the way Gauff moved on in Paris: 

6: In whole, Gauff broke Townsend’s serve six occasions and transformed 50% of her break level alternatives. In distinction, Townsend transformed simply 2-of-9. 

11: After avoiding happening two breaks early within the match, Gauff managed to win 11 of the ultimate 12 video games towards Townsend, together with sweeping the complete second set. 

12: The power for Townsend was ending the factors on the internet, profitable 12-of-20 factors when she was on the internet. Eleven of these had been within the first set. 

15: Gauff completed with 15 winners, although that was seven lower than Townsend. However, Gauff’s winner-to-unforced error ratio was 1:1 in comparison with Townsend’s 1:1.4

17: Gauff has now received 17 of her final 19 matches towards left-handed opponents.

31: Townsend’s 31 unforced errors had been her Achilles heel in Tuesday’s matchup, together with some in potential match-altering moments. Gauff dedicated slightly below half of that mark with 15.

60%: Gauff was stellar on the return, profitable 15-of-25 (60%) of factors that had been on Townsend’s first serve. That determine was almost equivalent to these on Townsend’s second function Gauff received 14-of-24 (58%). 

The key moments

Townsend misses likelihood to go up 4-1 and two breaks: Townsend broke Gauff within the very first sport of the match, and the good thing about that was Townsend’s skill to place the strain on her counterpart early. After Townsend remained agency on her serve, she had a monumental alternative to earn a second break. She set herself up with break level after firing a cross-court forehand that Gauff watched jet proper previous her.

But on the break level — and Townsend’s probabilities had been even increased as Gauff missed her first serve — Townsend sailed her return lengthy, typically a standard incidence Tuesday. 

“I had thoughts about what if I lose and stuff,” Gauff added. “Honestly, I form of keep in mind that tennis is 2 out of three units, and I believe Rome taught me quite a bit about my skill after shedding the primary set and stuff. I felt like Taylor got here out enjoying actually nice tennis, and I simply felt like if she continues to play like this and he or she wins a match like this, then she deserves to win and I might stroll away and be like, ‘I simply wasn’t ok immediately.’

“So I didn’t allow myself mentally, I think, today to get to that point where I feel like in the past I would.”

Gauff wins 4 straight video games, goes up a break at 5-3: With the pendulum shifted totally in Gauff’s favor, Townsend wanted to cease the bleeding, and he or she was confronted with double break level alternatives for Gauff. She saved the primary with nice serve that had an enormous kick to have an effect on Gauff’s return, however on the second, Taylor sailed her hit lengthy and Gauff’s break lead was consequential as regardless of giving the break proper again, Gauff broke Townsend for the third time to take the primary set. 

Townsend’s missed open-court winner: After a fast maintain by Gauff to open the second set, Townsend’s first service sport was degree at 30-30. Townsend did properly on the purpose to stretch Gauff to the corners, a lot that she had a seemingly routine backhand winner within the open court docket. Rather, the hit that was directed cross-court went large, establishing one other break level for Gauff and Townsend knew the magnitude, bent over on her racquet.

Gauff capitalized on that second, and in the end took the second set in underneath a half hour.