In-form Coco Gauff serves notice with assured start to US Open title pursuit

Gauff tops Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 in first-round match American saves three break points in pivotal hold Fourth seed also has world No 1 ranking in sight Coco Gauff returned to the scene of her grand slam breakthrough on a rain-lashed Tuesday night and safely cleared the first hurdle toward another, launching her pursuit of a second US Open title in four years with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 22-year-old American, seeded fourth in New York, arrived with momentum and expectation running particularly high, fresh off her first title of the year in Cincinnati and having shown encouraging signs that the serve which has so often dictated the rest of her game is becoming a more reliable weapon.

Now, three years after she first lifted the trophy here , both a third major championship and the world No 1 ranking are within her reach.

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