Coco's Forehand: Some Hamburger with Your Sushi

[stotty]

From Marca: "Tennis analyst Mark Petchey has recently boldly claimed that Coco Gauff is the best women's athlete to have ever played tennis. ...

"I personally think that Coco Gauff - looking at her right now with the speed that the game is being played at - is the best female women's tennis athlete that we have ever seen," he said.

https://www.marca.com/en/tennis/2023...20d8b45a3.html

Petchey might be right. When it comes to footwork, Steffi remains unsurpassed and she may have the best footwork of all time - she was so correct. But Steffi was mostly about dishing it out and not about defending, so it's hard to compare in that sense. But Coco is the most athletic defender I have ever seen and comparable to Nadal with her exceptional retrieving skills. I can't tell you how impressed I am with her in that regard. Hitting Coco off is going to be a very tough ask, and probably not the way opponents should go about trying to defeat her. You have seen her play much more than me so probably have much to add. I am really looking forward to watching her more.

[stroke]

I was only responding to the notion of the best athlete ever in women's tennis. To me, that is Steffi.

[jimlosaltos]

Gauff came back from a break down in the third to win a 3 hour match vs Petra Martic and keep her 14 match winning streak going.

2:39 min highlight vid at link:

https://www.wtatennis.com/videos/3718577/gauff-s-three-hour-comeback-thwarts-martic-to-extend-win-streak-to-14

[jimlosaltos]

With her third-round win over the hot Kudermetova who came from a Tokyo title, Coco Gauff now has the longest winning streak on the WTA so far this year, at 15 matches.

Looks like Brad Gilbert's strategy to turn the athletic Gauff into Sloan Stevens 2.0 -- flying around behind the baseline -- wasn't a one-hit wonder. It's sticking.


Highlights:

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/3722319/gauff-quells-kudermetova-in-beijing-seals-longest-win-streak-of-year

[jimlosaltos]

All good things come to an end.

WTA Beijing: "Iga Swiatek snapped US Open champion Coco Gauff's 16-match win streak after defeating the World No.3 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals of the China Open. "

"Gauff had not lost a match since her title run in Cincinnati in August. Her 16-match win streak was the longest win streak of her career and the longest by an American teenager since Serena Williams also won 16 matches in 1999."