Tennis: Coco Gauff downplays issue over indoor courts at ASB Classic

Coco Gauff cruised into the semifinals. Photo / Photosport

American top seed Coco Gauff has no issue with the temporary indoor courts used at the 2023 ASB Classic – and even thinks playing on the faster surface could be a bonus for her ahead of the Australian Open.

On Friday Gauff played her second successive match indoors – due to further rain – moving into the semifinals with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 quarter-final win over China’s Zhu Lin, the world No 84 who had edged Venus Williams on Thursday.

British star Emma Raducanu had issues with the indoor courts, complaining that they were “incredibly slick” and “very slippery” and implying that the different surface contributed to the ankle injury which forced her to retire from her second round match on Thursday.

But Gauff had a different take.

“They’re a little bit faster than the outdoor courts but that’s expected,” said Gauff. “But for the most part, I think they’re fine. I would say the outdoors is a little bit grittier and the indoor a bit slicker, but I just tried to adjust the best I can.”

The 18-year-old added that while she misses being in front of fans, playing on the quicker courts might assist her preparations for Melbourne.

“It’s probably better for me, the courts are really fast inside,” said Gauff. “I want to be outside [but] the faster the courts I can play on, especially preparing for the [Australian Open], will help me when going to move to slower courts.”

Gauff explained that it “pressures my game” and forces her to strengthen areas that she has weaknesses in.

Her glass half-full approach is typical. She has shrugged off the rain delays this week – and accepted the constant changes in schedule – joking on Friday that it has enabled her to almost finish a book she has only just started.

It’s also symptomatic of her remarkable maturity, after years under the harsh media spotlight. The 18-year-old world No 7 said before the tournament she wasn’t worried about the extra focus of being top seed and reiterated on Friday that her favoured status is irrelevant.

“It’s really just a number - it means nothing. So you have to treat it as that.”

Gauff is a disciple of the process over results philosophy.

“I try not to look ahead,” said Gauff. “There’s been tournaments where I’ve looked ahead and it didn’t happen and I just realised you have to live in the moment, live in the present. So if I win the title great, if not great.”

But there is no doubt Gauff is the player to beat.

She was imperious on Friday, not giving up a break opportunity, while forcing 13 on Zhu’s serve (converting three).

Gauff also banged down eight aces to one and dropped only 11 points on serve across the 69-minute match.

Gauff will face seventh seed Danka Kovinic in Saturday’s semifinal, after the world No 60 dispatched Slovakian qualifier Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3 6-2 in 70 minutes.

The pair have never met before at tour level.