Teary Gauff overcomes serving woes to beat Vekic at US Open

Former US Open champion Coco Gauff wiped away a flood of mid-match tears after a series of service errors to defeat unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(5) 6-2 and labour into the third round of the Grand Slam on Thursday.

Still in the early stages of her coaching partnership with biomechanist Gavin MacMillan and adjusting to a retooled serve, Gauff had to battle hard in a difficult outing to set up a meeting with 28th-seeded Pole Magdalena Frech.

In a dramatic evening session encounter where both players struggled for rhythm in the first set under the primetime glare of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Gauff reined in her unforced errors on serve just enough to clinch it via a tiebreak.

The 2023 champion had wept into her towel during a break in play a short while earlier after getting broken in the ninth game and later practiced her delivery when Vekic was receiving treatment from the physio for a right arm problem.

After a combined 16 double faults in the opening set, both players composed themselves in the next frame but it was Gauff who pulled away harder for a break to build a 3-1 lead.

The American, who had also laboured in her first round match against Ajla Tomljanovic, capitalised on a string of errors from Vekic to break at love once more before securing victory, avenging her third-round loss to the Croatian at last year's Paris Olympics.

"I'm just happy to be back on this court and you guys bring me so much joy," Gauff told her home-crowd, before bursting into tears again. "I'm doing this for myself but I'm also doing it for you. No matter how tough it gets inside, you can do it."

With American gymnast Simone Biles among the marquee stars watching from the stands, Gauff was candid during her on-court interview, admitting that seeing the 11-time Olympic medallist motivated her to push through her crisis.

Biles won three gold medals at her third Olympics in Paris having nearly retired from the sport following her withdrawal from the Tokyo 2021 Games due to a dangerous mental block known as "the twisties".

"I saw her and she helped me pull it out," she said. "I was thinking 'If she can go on a six-inch beam and do that with all the pressure of the world, then I can hit the ball in this court. She's an inspiration."