Gauff finds clay comfort in defeat of Raducanu

Coco Gauff eased into her now-found clay-court comfort zone with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Emma Raducanu  with the Briton still struggling at times with the alien surface.

Fourth seed Gauff was dominant in the fast conditions while Raducanu confessed to being overwhelmed.

“I found it I found it really hard today,” the Briton said. “The conditions were different. It was windy.. so high-bouncing.

” I felt like every ball was outside my strike zone, so I couldn’t get a good hit. Yeah, it just kept getting higher and higher.”

But she added: “Coco played a great match, too. Found great shape,great width, great depth. 

“I felt outplayed today. But it was good to kind of see where I’m at in these conditions.”

The 2021 US open winner said she will take lessons onto the clay of Roland Garros starting in just under a fortnight.

“I think I’ve been trying to work so much on just, like, basics of trying to develop a weapon. “(Finding)  some shorter balls that I have to finish, to use some finesse. 

“I haven’t really played these top opponents very often because I haven’t been in the tournaments for long enough. 

“For me to be kind of playing them now is good exposure.”