Tatjana Maria's US Open journey could end in round two as the World No. 99 faces defending champion Coco Gauff on Wednesday.
The No. 3 seed avoided a shock exit to Varvara Gracheva while Maria dispatched qualifier Solana Sierra in two sets.
Match preview
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After four consecutive first-round losses at the US Open, Maria finally overcame her tournament-opening hoodoo on Monday, beating Sierra 6-2, 6-3 to set up Wednesday's meeting with Gauff.
That victory ended the veteran's sequence of four round-one defeats — 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023 — as well as two first-round losses in this year's French Open and Wimbledon Championships.
Despite winning three Tour-level titles in her career and advancing to the semis at Wimbledon two years back, the 37-year-old has barely pulled up trees in the Majors, often exiting in the first or second round since turning pro in 2001.
That makes her the underdog going into Wednesday's match with Gauff, where she seeks to progress beyond the second round on the singles circuit for only the third time in her career.
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The No. 3 seed hopes to avoid having egg on her face on Wednesday, keen to take advantage of an ostensibly favourable opponent in the second round after dispatching Gracheva 6-2, 6-0.
Gauff barely broke a sweat in her success over the Frenchwoman, notching her eighth straight victory at Flushing Meadows and 15th overall, becoming the youngest woman since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 to record that many victories.
The 20-year-old needed just 66 minutes to get the better of Gracheva on Monday, increasing her head-to-head advantage to 2-0, and she expects to avoid her earliest elimination in New York since exiting in round two in 2021.
After enduring a bumpy ride since reaching the French Open last four, underscored by failing to take advantage of an encouraging shot at a Wimbledon title, an early exit at the Paris Olympics and departing sooner than anticipated in Toronto and Cincinnati, the No. 3 seed hopes to find her best level again on home turf in her title defence.
No woman's singles player has retained the US Open title since Serena Williams's three consecutive wins from 2012 to 2014, and while Gauff is far from discussing title retention, she aims to build momentum in the first week to position herself for success.
Tournament so far
Tatjana Maria:
First round: vs. Solana Sierra 6-2 6-3
Coco Gauff:
First round: vs. Varvara Gracheva 6-2 6-0
Head To Head
Auckland Open (2023) - First round: Gauff 6-4 6-1
Both players have faced off once, with Gauff notching a 6-4, 6-1 triumph against the German veteran at last year's Auckland Open, a title she went on to win and has since retained in 2024.
The American's seven Tour titles in singles to Maria's three and a significantly superior 2024 — 36-13 win record before the US Open compared to 20-25 for the 37-year-old — highlights the difference in quality between both players.
We say: Gauff to win in two sets
Gauff was able to get herself out of potentially tricky situations against Gracheva in round one with her well-placed serve, and a similar level of execution on the big points allied with her on-court quality should lead to another straightforward triumph against Maria.
