Coco Gauff assesses the conditions of the Wuhan Open and explains why she has no expectations for the tournament

Three days after Gauff won her second title of the season in China, the American came to Wuhan to take part in the tournament for the first time.

On Tuesday morning, she advanced to the next round of the WTA 1000 event by defeating Viktoriya Tomova, losing just three games.

What does Coco Gauff think of the conditions of the Wuhan Open?

Coco Gauff had been struggling with her serve for some time, but was in top form against Tomova.

She hit 63% of her first serves and won 83% of the points on her first throw and 88% on the second, which gave her the most problems when serving.

Gauff put in a solid performance from the baseline, showcasing her outstanding athleticism by tracking down a drop shot that hit the net and rocketing down the court for a superb game-winner during the first set was ahead 4-1.

The 2023 US Open champion needed just an hour and 15 minutes for a 6-1, 6-2 victory and explained after the match how the conditions in Wuhan differ from those in Beijing.

“Yes, it’s completely different in Beijing, a little slower today,” Gauff said during her on-court interview. “So I was just trying to get used to the court, but overall I’m happy with my performance.”

What expectations does Coco Gauff have for the Wuhan Open?

Gauff downplayed her expectations for the China Open before winning the tournament.

The world number four's opinion has not changed for the Wuhan Open and she claims she will take things one step at a time in one of the last major tournaments before the WTA Finals in November.

“Honestly, I have no expectations for this tournament, I’m just trying to get through every game,” Gauff said.

“It's been a long few weeks but I'm glad I progressed today and we'll see how the rest of the tournament goes.”

In the next round, Gauff will face Ukrainian Marta Kostuyk, who she has beaten twice in three encounters. It is expected to be a close affair, as the two's previous encounters each lasted three sets.

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