NEW YORK -- Coco Gauff opened her quest for a second US Open title on Tuesday by beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4, regaining control midway through the second set after her opponent from Turkey picked up her play.
At 1 hour and 20 minutes, it tied the second-shortest Round 1 match of the fourth-seeded American's US Open career. Gauff, 22, was pushed to three sets in five of her previous seven opening-round matches at Flushing Meadows.
Even Gauff, playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium to open the night session, had to applaud a couple of times when her opponent hit some nifty shots. There was the ball that Sonmez tracked down deep in the corner and hit down the line on the run. There was a volley with unusual spin that just cleared the net for another point.
Many of the rest of the highlights belonged to Gauff.
"I know that I can raise my level if I need to do and I like to challenge my opponent to let them keep up the level the whole match," Gauff said. "And if they do, I clap my hands and I walk off court with my head held high."