Stuttgart Open: Gauff begins clay season with error-hit win against Kudermetova

Stuttgart Open: Coco Gauff, 2022 French Open runner-up, got her clay-court season underway with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) win over Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.

USA’s Coco Gauff celebrates after winning her round of 32 match against Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova at the Stuttgart Open on Wednesday.

Coco Gauff got her clay-court season underway with a tough, mistake-ridden three-set win over Veronika Kudermetova in Stuttgart on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old American, runner-up at the French Open last year, came through 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) to set up a last-16 clash with another Russian player, Anastasia Potapova.

World number six Gauff committed 53 unforced errors with 24 winners, while Kudermetova hit 80 unforced errors to 35 winners. There were 15 breaks of serve in total.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova also progressed to the second round. Kazakh Rybakina beat local wildcard Jule Niemeier 7-5, 6-3 and will next face Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. Pliskova defeated eighth-seeded Greek Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 to set up a round of 16 clash with Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

Later Wednesday, Australian Open champion and second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka also starts her clay-court campaign against 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.

World number two Sabalenka finished as Stuttgart runner-up in the past two seasons, losing to Ashleigh Barty in 2021 and Iga Swiatek in 2022.

Top-ranked Swiatek starts her title defence on Thursday against highly-regarded Zheng Qinwen, the world number 25 from China.

Swiatek arrived in Germany having missed the Miami Open and Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers with a rib injury.

“I’m not injured anymore, so that’s the most important thing for me,” said reigning French and US Open champion Swiatek.