Coco Gauff makes a statement in Paris with straight-sets win over Tomljanovic

Coco Gauff (No. 2) successfully debuts at the Olympic Games, overcoming Alja Tomljanovic (No. 123) with a decisive 6-3, 6-0 victory. The American is playing in her first Olympics, having had to withdraw from Tokyo 2021 due to a positive Covid test just hours before flying to the Asian country.

It has been an ideal start for Gauff, who also debuted successfully in doubles alongside Jessica Pegula against Australia the day before.

The world No. 2 had a dominant start by breaking serve early and quickly taking a 3-0 lead. Tomljanovic entered the match with significant service inconsistencies, especially with her second serve. However, Gauff couldn’t maintain her good level throughout the set, leading to a phase of the game filled with errors from both sides.

When the score was 3-1 in favor of the American, a streak of four consecutive games followed where neither player could hold serve. Nevertheless, Gauff’s initial advantage allowed her to pull ahead once she defended her service game, closing the set at 6-3.

In the second set, things changed. The momentum from the previous set allowed Gauff to take control of all the actions on Philippe Chatrier, while the Australian couldn't keep up with her opponent's pace and continued to commit unforced errors.

Coco Gauff had an impressive set, conceding only a handful of points. Tomljanovic's service issues were evident, as she managed just two points on her serve in the first game and then lost the next ten points she played on serve for the rest of the match.

After just 21 minutes in the second set (and less than an hour in the match), Gauff sealed the victory with a 6-3, 6-0 scoreline. In the second round, she will face Argentina's Maria Lourdes Carle, who surprised by defeating Tatjana Maria 6-0, 6-0 in her debut. It will be the first encounter between the American and the South American.