‘Novak-esque’ – Coco Gauff a ‘total package’ like Djokovic says Eurosport's Mats Wilander after win over Zhang Shaui
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ByEurosport
Updated 04/09/2022 at 23:13 GMT
Coco Gauff didn't have it all her own way in her fourth-round 7-5 7-5 victory over Zhang Shaui in the US Open. The 18-year-old had to come from 5-3 down in the second set, winning the next four games to keep her dream of winning her home Grand Slam alive. Afterwards, the Eurosport expert Mats Wilander praised the teenager, describing her as the "total package".
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Eighteen-year-old Coco Gauff has been described as the "total package" and was also praised for her maturity following her hard-fought 7-5 7-5 victory over Zhang Shaui to set up a place in the last eight of the US Open.
After taking the first set in brilliant fashion, Gauff was staring at a decider after Zhang took a 5-3 lead in the second set. But the young American dealt with the pressure to win the next four games and keep her bid of winning her home Grand Slam alive.
Eurosport’s Barbara Schett was impressed with Gauff’s mentality when the going got tough.
“The way she just put her mindset to play one point at a time, and she got so fired up, there was so much positive energy,” Schett said. “That was outstanding.
"Once again, look at her age.”
Mats Wilander agreed, saying: “Absolutely outstanding. And to be 100 per cent honest, she’s survived that and then when she had breakpoints back, she actually missed a few easy shots and that’s on those breakpoints back in the beginning of this game. It was actually maybe the worst I’ve seen her play, but she didn’t hang her head. She just keeps coming back.”
Continuing, Wilander described the teenager as the “total package” and likened her skills to that of 21-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
“She just gets the mix between offence and defence,” he said. “I mean, the backhand, it’s Novak-esque the way she defends on the backhand side. She’s everywhere.
“The difference is that Coco, she can do that, but she can also defend. And she’s as good on the backhand side as she is on the forehand side.
“She really is the total package.
“She’s a rarity in the way she’s defending, but the pressure is the part that is impressing me the most.
“It’s very difficult to find weaknesses. Of course, we saw them in the final against Iga Swiatek in Paris, but here, on a hard court, what would be the game plan against her? Hitting it hard? She doesn’t have a hole in her game.”
Former world No. 1 Justine Henin, who was commentating for Eurosport France, agreed.
“Coco has more weapons in her game,” Henin said. “She can control a lot of what she is doing. And of course, Zhang, she was really aggressive, trying a lot, but Coco could resist a lot.
“To me, the difference was how she played on the important points, very mature.
“I thought she proved [she has] a lot of experience already, the way she’s dealing with the questions in this tournament. Especially not that Serena is out of the tournament.
“All of the pressure is on her, and I was really impressed with the way she’s moving. We know her qualities. She still has a bit of work to do, but I was really impressed in the way she was dealing on the important points, especially on serve.
“She was serving at the right place and she has been so strong mentally.”
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