NEW YORK -- Coco Gauff already was down a set on Day 1 of the US Open when she found herself locked in a marathon of a 30-point, 25-plus-minute game to begin the second set.
Sure, there still was plenty of time to come back Monday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but this felt pivotal.
The 19-year-old from Florida had lost her past two Grand Slam matches -- including a first-round exit at Wimbledon last month -- and did not want to leave quietly or quickly this time. With thousands of partisan fans getting rowdier by the moment, the sixth-seeded Gauff finally converted on her eighth break point of that game, and wound up beating German qualifier Laura Siegemund 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 and reaching the second round at Flushing Meadows.