Emboldened by her Auckland success, Coco Gauff says she will be able to contend at Melbourne Park for a primary main title on the Australian Open.
Gauff was an emphatic champion on the ASB Classic, profitable 5 matches with out dropping a set, culminating in a 6-1 6-1 win within the rain-delayed closing over Rebeka Masarova.
Her hardest match, a second spherical defeat of 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, stretched to only 83 minutes.
“It was a great tournament for me. I couldn’t ask for anything better,” she stated.
“Each match I improved.
“I really feel actually good in my sport proper now. And I really feel actually ready for Australia.”
The win means Gauff, the world No.7, has three career titles.
This was her first trophy since Parma in May 2021, and her first on hard courts since the Linz Open in 2019 – or as Gauff noted in her acceptance speech, her “first since I used to be 15”.
For the American, a win in Auckland brought the added significance of succeeding her inspiration and last winner here: Serena Williams.
“It’s fairly cool to have your identify subsequent to your idol,” she stated, beaming.
“It’s going to be there eternally and that is loopy actually. I’m actually completely happy about that … I’ll take an image of it and simply savour it.”
Amid her obvious delight, Gauff made mention of a tough 2022 she was happy to leave behind.
Perhaps surprisingly for someone on such an obviously upward trajectory, Gauff said she couldn’t be content with her 2022 season after a late fade-out of five straight losses – including three at the WTA Finals.
“It’s undoubtedly arduous to take pleasure in issues when everybody’s anticipating a lot from you,” she said.
Her response was to arrive in New Zealand a full week before the tournament for a preparation with her family, “doing all the pieces proper within the mornings and afternoons and evenings that simply felt like a trip”.
“I like to indicate them new locations on this planet,” she stated.
“I did not really feel burdened in any respect this week. And lots of people talked about that I did not look burdened (and) I actually wasn’t.”
On Monday she will pack for Melbourne, where she will be expected to improve on her first-round exit last year.
In 2023, she will enjoy the protection of the seventh seed – her highest ranking at a major – and with the benefit of her Auckland form, Gauff is setting her sights high.
“The objective is all the time to win,” she stated.
“I ended the final season roughly however I utterly turned that round this week.”
