ASB Classic: Coco Gauff rolls into Auckland quarter-finals after beating Brenda Fruhvirtova

Coco Gauff waves to the crowd after beating Brenda Fruhvirtova. Photo / Photosport

The Coco Gauff express rolls on at the ASB Classic – and it is hard to see anyone stopping the American dynamo.

There are tougher tests to come this week but the 19-year-old has started well here in 2024, which is beginning to feel like a replica of last year.

The defending champion is through to the quarter-finals, after an emphatic 6-3 6-0 win over 16-year-old Czech qualifier Brenda Fruhvirtova on Thursday.

It was a typical Gauff show; power, precision and placement, along with her trademark athleticism.

It was also a novel experience, as she faced someone younger than her across the net for only the fourth time in the last two years.

“Everybody’s hungry but when you are young you just always want to beat the best, so I did feel that pressure coming into the match,” said Gauff.

Gauff was the original wunderkind, on tour since 14, and wasn’t used to being the senior player.

“It’s definitely a weird thing for me now,” said Gauff. “I told myself today as more time passes you have to get used to it.”

But her greater maturity was vital. After a tight start, where she conceded an early break, the world No 3 toughed her way back into the match, then simply overwhelmed Fruhvirtova.

“Just on the mental side, I felt a little bit more mature,” said Gauff. “Certain points I probably won playing the smarter shot. That comes with life, same as when I was 16. I had to learn a lot of things.”

The 2023 US Open champion was imperious on serve, only dropping three points across the match when her first serve landed. She had some issues early but, once they were ironed out, clicked into gear.

Gauff also impressed with her mental fortitude, lifting to save five of six break points.

“Obviously I would not like to have so many break points on my serve but it happens, it’s tennis,” said Gauff. “The more pressure my opponents feel the better, knowing they have to do a lot to break me. Serving-wise, I felt like I served my best when I was under pressure.”

Coco Gauff was in command throughout the match. Photo / Photosport

Gauff also gradually put more and more pressure on the Fruhvirtova serve, with the world No 111 eventually bereft of answers.

It became a demolition, as Fruhvirtova only won four points on serve in the second set, unable to deal with the Gauff barrage.

After 70 minutes, Gauff sealed the match with another deep serve and can now plan for a last-eight appearance on Friday, having only being broken once in two matches here.

While those results need to be kept in perspective – as she has faced players ranked 98 and 111 – there are no signs of early-season rust. She is hitting clean and most importantly improving with each match.

It was always going to be a daunting assignment for Fruhvirtova. She is an undoubted prospect – who won her first ITF title as a 14-year-old and qualified for the Australian Open last year – though this felt like a stretch.

But if Fruhvirtova was overawed, she wasn’t showing it. She grabbed an early break against the American, showing a willingness to go for her shots. Gauff hits one of the heaviest balls on the WTA tour but the Czech was matching her and finding the lines.

The turning point came in the fourth game, with Fruhvirtova serving at 2-1. It stretched on for seven minutes, before Gauff sealed the break back.

The American was made to work hard for the next hold, before grabbing another break for 4-2, with her family rising to their feet in the coach’s box as she nailed a clean crosscourt winner.

“I felt like in the first couple of games she couldn’t play any better than how she was playing, so I had to stay in there,” said Gauff. “For the most part I made the right decisions most of the rallies. That what I did better [than Tuesday] – doing what was required.”

ASB Classic schedule - Friday, Jan 5

Starts at 12pm

[4] Emma Navarro (USA) vs [7] Petra Martic (CRO)

[1] Coco Gauff (USA) vs [Q] Lulu Sun (SUI) or [8] Varvara Gracheva (FRA)

Not before 3.30pm

Xiyu Wang (CHN) vs Diane Parry (FRA)

Not before 6.30pm

[5] Marie Bouzkova (CZE) vs [WC] Emma Raducanu (GBR) or [2] Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Jade Otway (NZL) & Lulu Sun (SUI) or [4] Jessika Ponchet (FRA) & Anna Siskova (CZE) vs [2] Anna Danilina (KAZ) & Viktoria Hruncakova (SVK)