Down a set and break, Coco Gauff's young legend grows with US Open win

NEW YORK—The last time we saw Coco Gauff, she was in Washington, D.C., fresh off a fourth-round Wimbledon run that transfixed both the tennis world and general sports landscape. And perhaps beyond. At 15, she's already a household name—and she should only get better as she gets more matches against top-flight competition.

Her next challenge begins today, at the US Open, where the wild card was drawn against Anastasia Potapova, an 18-year-old who has also impressed in her short time on tour.

Will Coco add to her teenage bona fides, or will we see one scored for the older set? I'll be live blogging the first-round match, which is currently being contested inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.

All photos from Getty Images

FINAL: GAUFF DEFEATS POTAPOVA, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

The American holds at 30 to deafening applause.

The Russian sits on the changeover with a towel over her head.

After saving two break points, Potapova fires a backhand down the line that catches the corner of the court and leaves Gauff flailing. Crowd really trying to keep Gauff's spirit positive and energy high. This has been a impressive turnaround from Potapova.

Following Potapova's medical timeout, Gauff dropped the next two games, including a service game with two double faults. For perhaps the first time all match, Gauff was in complete command—but rather than a freed opponent playing with nothing to lose, it was the American who gave plenty away. Now it gets real interesting.

It appears to be for her shoulder.

The chair umpire is only person inside Louis Armstrong Stadium who isn't grunting, screaming or cheering. "Game, Gauff" was the summation of a break point that saw Gauff go down the line to break open a closely contested point, which ended with Potapova on the receiving end of an overhead smash—and the crowd at full bellow. Potapova hasn't struck a single winner this set.

A one-sided contest played mostly in silence has given way to an emotional battle. "Come on"s a plenty; racquet swipes from Potapova and fist pumps from Gauff—this is a match that, like most at this level, will be won with the mind and the body.

A Gauff forehand that dropped in for a winner elicited the loudest crowd reaction of the match. Not much separates either player on form, but you'd probably give the edge to Gauff, playing at home and with progressively improving confidence.

One of the match's best points was the break point that Potatpova converted, which saw a Gauff drop shot answered by a great, stretch get—with two more net exchanges that followed before Gauff couldn't keep the last shot in play.

It's been a good summer for New Balance, who also outfits the NBA's Kawhi Leonard.

Hitting deep returns, Gauff breaks Potapova at 15—with an overhead smash—to get back on level terms. The normally placid pro followed that with a huge release of emotion, a double fist-pump that inspired similar exaltations from the fans.

Stats from the 1:10 match, so far, from USOpen.org:

Using a full array of shots, including a dropper and a moonball, Gauff is asking Potapova to do more. Variety is one way to knock a player out of their groove, and Potapova is donating more errors—over the course of the match, the two are nearly level.

When Gauff secured the break for 4-2—an promptly held serve for 5-2—the sizable crowd gave its loudest reaction of the late afternoon.

After bring broken to start the second set, Gauff responded with some of her most aggressive tennis, forcing Potapova to move more than she has all day. It still resulted in some incredible shotmaking, with rallies that showed a potential future of the WTA. But Potapova took one big swing too many, dumping a down-the-line forehand try into the net on break point.

Gauff held her next service game for a 2-1 lead, but she continues to be tested by Potapova's seemingly limitless power reserves.

The crowd can play a big factor in this match, especially if this juncture signals a Gauff turnaround. But you wouldn't know if from the reserved lower bowl, which is dotted with vacant patches of seats. This is the risk you run when ticketing a secondary show court. Still, it's surprising that many ticketholders have apparently stayed away.

FIRST-SET REACTION

While Gauff's two-game push forced Potapova to serve out the set, she did so with ease. Echoing her assertiveness during rallies, Potapova's only lost point she was on an aggressive double fault. When she closed out the game a point later, via a Gauff error, her "Come on!" echoed throughout Armstrong.

For Gauff, she'll need to take care of service games—she won 64% of first-serve points, compared to her opponent's 76—and hope that Potapova's level drops. It would be hard for anyone to match what she's bringing to the table at the moment.

Gauff has just two winners, and she also has 13 unforced errors. She's being overpowered by Potapova, reacting instead of dictating. But when Potapova is unloading on seemingly every ball, and connecting with those shots, there's not much Gauff can do. A 5-1 deficit has silenced the pro-Gauff crowd.

Gauff's improved play has brought about even better play from Potapova. The Russian has saved four break points in her last two service games, using her heavy serve and powerful, spin-laden forehand to defuse the American's advances. She's taken the initiative overall, and when she's spotted an opening, Potapova hasn't been afraid to go for a winner. She already has seven to Gauff's two.

I was curious to see which court US Open officials would give Gauff, with Armstrong as my guess. Ashe would invite too much pressure and hype (though if Gauff wins, that could quickly change), while Grandstand and Court 17 seem like safety hazards.

With the upper bowl of Armstrong mostly filled—fans happily camped out there for Nicole Gibbs' three-set loss to Wimbledon champion Simona Halep—and the ticketed lower bowl quickly being inhabited, the crowd favorite dropped her first two games. Potapova's backhand is a compact and powerful stroke, and it was used to great effect right from the start.

For his part, Steve Tignor thinks Potapova will come out on top:

New girl on the block meets even newer girl on the block. The 18-year-old Potapova is a former junior world No. 1 who has begun to see some success at the WTA level this year. She upset Angelique Kerber at Roland Garros and reached the semis at the Baltic Open over the summer. Gauff, of course, is the 15-year-old American phenom who lit up Wimbledon with her fourth-round run. Gauff is already a star, and has the makings of a great player, but Potapova is probably a step or two ahead in her development. We’ll see if the crowd in Armstrong Stadium can help make up the difference. Winner: Potapova

Wake up every morning with Tennis Channel Live at the US Open, starting at 8 a.m. ET. For three hours leading up to the start of play, Tennis Channel's team will break down upcoming matches, review tournament storylines and focus on everything Flushing Meadows.

Tennis Channel's encore, all-night match coverage will begin every evening at 11 p.m. ET, with the exception of earlier starts on Saturday and Sunday of championship weekend.

All photos from Getty Images

FINAL: GAUFF DEFEATS POTAPOVA, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

The American holds at 30 to deafening applause.

The Russian sits on the changeover with a towel over her head.

After saving two break points, Potapova fires a backhand down the line that catches the corner of the court and leaves Gauff flailing. Crowd really trying to keep Gauff's spirit positive and energy high. This has been a impressive turnaround from Potapova.

Following Potapova's medical timeout, Gauff dropped the next two games, including a service game with two double faults. For perhaps the first time all match, Gauff was in complete command—but rather than a freed opponent playing with nothing to lose, it was the American who gave plenty away. Now it gets real interesting.

It appears to be for her shoulder.

The chair umpire is only person inside Louis Armstrong Stadium who isn't grunting, screaming or cheering. "Game, Gauff" was the summation of a break point that saw Gauff go down the line to break open a closely contested point, which ended with Potapova on the receiving end of an overhead smash—and the crowd at full bellow. Potapova hasn't struck a single winner this set.

A one-sided contest played mostly in silence has given way to an emotional battle. "Come on"s a plenty; racquet swipes from Potapova and fist pumps from Gauff—this is a match that, like most at this level, will be won with the mind and the body.

A Gauff forehand that dropped in for a winner elicited the loudest crowd reaction of the match. Not much separates either player on form, but you'd probably give the edge to Gauff, playing at home and with progressively improving confidence.

One of the match's best points was the break point that Potatpova converted, which saw a Gauff drop shot answered by a great, stretch get—with two more net exchanges that followed before Gauff couldn't keep the last shot in play.

It's been a good summer for New Balance, who also outfits the NBA's Kawhi Leonard.

Hitting deep returns, Gauff breaks Potapova at 15—with an overhead smash—to get back on level terms. The normally placid pro followed that with a huge release of emotion, a double fist-pump that inspired similar exaltations from the fans.

Stats from the 1:10 match, so far, from USOpen.org:

Using a full array of shots, including a dropper and a moonball, Gauff is asking Potapova to do more. Variety is one way to knock a player out of their groove, and Potapova is donating more errors—over the course of the match, the two are nearly level.

When Gauff secured the break for 4-2—an promptly held serve for 5-2—the sizable crowd gave its loudest reaction of the late afternoon.

After bring broken to start the second set, Gauff responded with some of her most aggressive tennis, forcing Potapova to move more than she has all day. It still resulted in some incredible shotmaking, with rallies that showed a potential future of the WTA. But Potapova took one big swing too many, dumping a down-the-line forehand try into the net on break point.

Gauff held her next service game for a 2-1 lead, but she continues to be tested by Potapova's seemingly limitless power reserves.

The crowd can play a big factor in this match, especially if this juncture signals a Gauff turnaround. But you wouldn't know if from the reserved lower bowl, which is dotted with vacant patches of seats. This is the risk you run when ticketing a secondary show court. Still, it's surprising that many ticketholders have apparently stayed away.

FIRST-SET REACTION

While Gauff's two-game push forced Potapova to serve out the set, she did so with ease. Echoing her assertiveness during rallies, Potapova's only lost point she was on an aggressive double fault. When she closed out the game a point later, via a Gauff error, her "Come on!" echoed throughout Armstrong.

For Gauff, she'll need to take care of service games—she won 64% of first-serve points, compared to her opponent's 76—and hope that Potapova's level drops. It would be hard for anyone to match what she's bringing to the table at the moment.

Gauff has just two winners, and she also has 13 unforced errors. She's being overpowered by Potapova, reacting instead of dictating. But when Potapova is unloading on seemingly every ball, and connecting with those shots, there's not much Gauff can do. A 5-1 deficit has silenced the pro-Gauff crowd.

Gauff's improved play has brought about even better play from Potapova. The Russian has saved four break points in her last two service games, using her heavy serve and powerful, spin-laden forehand to defuse the American's advances. She's taken the initiative overall, and when she's spotted an opening, Potapova hasn't been afraid to go for a winner. She already has seven to Gauff's two.

I was curious to see which court US Open officials would give Gauff, with Armstrong as my guess. Ashe would invite too much pressure and hype (though if Gauff wins, that could quickly change), while Grandstand and Court 17 seem like safety hazards.

With the upper bowl of Armstrong mostly filled—fans happily camped out there for Nicole Gibbs' three-set loss to Wimbledon champion Simona Halep—and the ticketed lower bowl quickly being inhabited, the crowd favorite dropped her first two games. Potapova's backhand is a compact and powerful stroke, and it was used to great effect right from the start.

For his part, Steve Tignor thinks Potapova will come out on top:

New girl on the block meets even newer girl on the block. The 18-year-old Potapova is a former junior world No. 1 who has begun to see some success at the WTA level this year. She upset Angelique Kerber at Roland Garros and reached the semis at the Baltic Open over the summer. Gauff, of course, is the 15-year-old American phenom who lit up Wimbledon with her fourth-round run. Gauff is already a star, and has the makings of a great player, but Potapova is probably a step or two ahead in her development. We’ll see if the crowd in Armstrong Stadium can help make up the difference. Winner: Potapova

Wake up every morning with Tennis Channel Live at the US Open, starting at 8 a.m. ET. For three hours leading up to the start of play, Tennis Channel's team will break down upcoming matches, review tournament storylines and focus on everything Flushing Meadows.

Tennis Channel's encore, all-night match coverage will begin every evening at 11 p.m. ET, with the exception of earlier starts on Saturday and Sunday of championship weekend.