Every tennis lover out there held their breath as the 2020 Australian Open draw was revealed a few days before the start of the tournament. What were the chances that Venus Williams, 39, would once again be challenged by Coco Gauff, 15, in the first round?
Apparently, they were high, and so were the odds of Venus losing the match…again.
Theirs was undoubtedly the most anticipated match of Day 1 at Melbourne Park, and the experience did not disappoint. It wasn’t until Gauff’s fourth set point that she finally managed to get the upper hand on Venus. She then got a comfortable 3-0 lead in the second set, and Venus had no response to that.
And so, rather poetically, the youngest woman in the draw got the better of the oldest woman in the tournament with 7-6 (5), 6-3 last Monday.
After the match, Gauff said, “That was really difficult. She played really well.” Coco also admitted she was really nervous about playing against Venus, but at least this time, she was definitely more comfortable with the court and playing in front of such huge crowds.
Fortunately for the pair, their match was in Margaret Court Arena, which is one of the three stadiums with retractable roofs. That’s why they managed to avoid heavy delays caused by the afternoon storm, which suspended play on the outside courts four several hours.
Among the other tennis players who were lucky to play on an indoor court were Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Ash Barty, and the 2018 Australian Open winner – Caroline Wozniacki. Back in December, Caro announced she would be retiring after this year’s Australian Open.
What is ahead for Gauff now that she’s off to round 2? Her victory over Venus Williams shows she’s picking up speed, tracking down her opponents’ every shot, and keeping her serves strong.