World No 3 seems to have taken a step forward in linking up with Gavin MacMillan but double faults at the WTA Finals shows there is still work to be done
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or a brief, hopeful moment in the middle of an intense tussle with her compatriot Jessica Pegula, it seemed as if Coco Gauff had found her way. Gauff had struggled in the first set of their opening match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Sunday, but then she dug deep and slowly turned the match around. The American reached set point on her serve at 6-5 in the second set.
Guaff then proceeded to hit three dire double faults in a row, which allowed Pegula to retrieve the break without touching the ball. Not a single attempt was even close.
That sequence illustrated perfectly Gauff’s struggles at the end of a curious season. On one hand, things are going supremely well in her career overall. She won her second grand slam title at the French Open in June by outsmarting the world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, a victory that showed Gauff and the rest of the tour that her first victory was no fluke. It was reasonable to assume that such a win would allow her to build even greater momentum.
