Coco Gauff holds on for win over Veronika Kudermetova at Canadian Open

World No. 2 tennis player and 2025 French Open champion Coco Gauff pushed past Veronika Kudermetova, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, on Thursday (31 July) at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

It was the second-straight match that went three sets for USA's Gauff, who has struggled with her serve in Canada, notching 13 double faults in the Round of 32 after registering 23 in her opening-round match.

In the opening set against Kudermetova, Gauff appeared to be in control, holding her opening service game before immediately breaking her opponent for 2–0. The pair then traded holds to 4–2. That’s when Kudermetova struck back, breaking Gauff to level the set.

From there, the 28-year-old reeled off three games in a row, including another break of Gauff, to take the opening set.

Kudermetova’s momentum continued into the first game of the second set as she immediately broke 21-year-old Gauff and then held to take an early 2–0 lead.

Three games later, Gauff found an opening at 0–30 on Kudermetova’s serve. She pounced, breaking to level the set at three games all. She then consolidated the break to lead 4–3.

The two exchanged a pair of holds for a 6–5 Gauff lead, putting the pressure on Kudermetova to stay in the set. She couldn’t, and Gauff took the second set 7–5 to force a deciding third.

Gauff wasted no time, racing to a 3–0 lead after holding twice and breaking Kudermetova in her first service game. The match stayed on serve from there and, as Gauff found herself up 5–2, she broke once more to take the match.

Gauff’s serve, which produced seven and six double faults in the first two sets, respectively, was more consistent in the third where she recorded just one.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion will next face the winner of the match between Canada's Victoria Mboko and Czechia's Marie Bouzková, to be decided on Thursday evening.

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