Australian Open: Gauff, Cocciaretto and… more Kostyuk!

I am always consistent with my proposals: as two days ago I proclaimed that the article on the match that Kostyuk played against Svitolina would have been the last one I would have written on the Ukrainian young(er) girl, here I am today to write something more on her. Though, there is a reason for this, besides stalking: i.e. an interview of Marta that I’ve read. In the article I referred to above, I spent positive words on Marta’s match and disagreed with some commentators who raised some objections against her. Interestingly enough, Kostyuk expressed an opinion opposite to mine and much more in line with that of the TV commentators. Of course I believe what I wrote, and I would rewrite my article exactly as I wrote it, even after having read about Marta’s position. Anyhow, her opinion is much more valuable than mine, so I think it’s fair to report it (translated from Italian by me, source: http://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2018/01/20/kostyuk-quindicenne-per-caso-sono-molto-delusa/).
“I played against a great opponent, thus it’s not easy to blame myself nor to take responsibilities. Though, to be honest, today I learned that one can play against everybody, if the level of the game expressed is fine and the correct choices are taken. The truth is that I played badly and I am very disappointed. I think I demonstrated 10% of what I am capable of doing. I should pay Svitolina the 1 hour lesson… the heat was terrible, there were 39 degrees, thus on the court we felt at least ten degrees more. Energies in such conditions vanish rapidly, but this is true for everybody and one must be prepared” [in reply to the question if she had troubles to play in the Rod Lever Arena] “Yes, because it does not happen to me every single day. It caused me troubles especially on serve, since I was not able to take measures. And with all that people, it was complicated”.
Ok, let’s leave Marta alone now and start to deal with the Junior Australian Open. Up to now the quali and the first round have been played. Despite  Kostyuk’s withdrawal, the draw is good: there are three top 10s, six top 20s and 24 top 50s. As usual, Australian Open is anyhow by far the weakest grand slam event of those of the Junior Tour due, most probably, to the “remote” and expensive to reach location.
The first round featured a very interesting match: Cori Gauff vs. Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The former is a 13 year old American rising star, who is indeed the only player I can foresee to be able to dominate the season. Though she is so young, Gauff has already reached a final in a Grade 1, the final in the U.S. Open and a semifinal last week in Traralgon. Cocciaretto is an Italian player born in 2001 who, a year ago, ranked around 1500 position in the junior circuit and ended its season around the top 50; last year she won a Grade 1 and reached the final in another one. What this girl has achieved in 2017 is quite remarkable.
I’ve never seen  Cocciaretto playing before yesterday, I just knew she owns quite a small frame, being tall something like 1.65 cm. Instead, I’ve seen  Cori Gauff play before and I knew she is extremely powerful and athletic and that she owns also defensive skills; her frame reminds me a bit of Serena Williams’. I judged the American to be the hot favourite in the match, and one of the favourites to win the tournament; though, it ended in the opposite way, as the Italian “normal” girl managed, eventually, to win. Actually there were 2 matches: one went on in the first set, where Gauff just shot every ball at undetectable speeds with whatever shot. Her serve was not manageable, her forehand and backhand… the same. The few times that Gauff allowed Cocciaretto a little chance to play more than two shots, the Italian performed very well, winning the few struggles that were longer than four shots and being able to find beautiful angles with ease. The only problem for Cocciaretto was to reach the balls that were blasting to every side of her court: a mission impossible to accomplish for everyone. Gauff took an immediate lead and on 4-1  I started to feel embarrassed for the young Italian, who was receiving such a severe lesson form a girl 3 years younger than her. In less than 30 minutes, Gauff won the first set by 6-2. Then, mysteriously, on 2-2 in the second set, she stopped  playing and became completely aboulic: first, her big shots started to go out; then she lost depth and then even power: she started playing quite lazy balls in the middle of the court, flooding shots in the net or hitting them everywhere but in the court. The most impressive example of how Gauff’s game collapsed was on 3-2 for Cocciaretto in the second set: suddenly Gauff decided it was time to “practice” lifts, and she hit 3 first serves which basically didn’t reach the net. Of course she also double faulted in the process. And whilst her game was becoming so involute, the American had no reactions at all, if not little complaints. She managed to lose the second set by 6-2 and the third one ended with the same score.
You all know by now how much I spoke about inexplicable Kostyuk’s “crazy moments”, when the girl was 14: though, Kosyuk surely went “crazy” from time to time during her matches, but she never, never became aboulic. I wonder if we found a weak spot in the American, which may be a mental one. Though, let’s not forget Gauff is just a kid. She is 13.
A few words on Cocciaretto: she deserves them. To be honest, I liked her a lot. She was able to cope with the fact of being completely dominated for a set by a “little” kid; she was patient and took all the opportunities to turn the match in her favour. As mentioned, the feature I have most appreciated about Cocciaretto is the facility she owns in finding angles and hitting winners, even if she doesn’t strike the ball at an amazing speed (she can generate some power, anyway); she is very, very, precise on both wings. I’ve heard, before seeing her play, that her service is weak. I don’t agree with that opinion; I had the impression her first serve was more than decent and I found no particular issues with her second serve. Honestly speaking, I found Cocciaretto to be a player more interesting than others that I’ve recently seen showing a better ranking.
One last note: Cocciaretto was interviewed by Paolo, another blogger who writes on this site and she said that after the first set she tried to add variations and depth to her game. I reviewed a set and a half of the match, and what she said is true (especially the second aspect): I did not notice this while I was following the match live. Nevertheless, this only partially explains, I think, the collapse that Gauff experienced in her game.
More than the above I can’t say: I need to see Cocciaretto again, possibly in a more “normal” match. I hope I’ll have the chance to do this already in this tournament.