New York, Aug. 27 -- Defending champion Coco Gauff was pushed to the limit under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium before overcoming Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 in the women's singles first round of the US Open.
The No. 3 seed, who has been retooling her serve with coach Gavin McMillan, took nearly three hours to get past her Australian opponent in a contest full of drama, momentum swings and extended rallies.
Gauff trailed early in the opening set but recovered strongly to move ahead 6-4, 4-2, only for Tomljanovic to claw back and snatch the second set in a dominant tiebreak.
In the decider, Gauff twice failed to close out the match, including serving at 5-4 when two double faults cost her, before breaking back and holding her ner...