Additionally, look just a little deeper and the clay might give Gauff as many benefits because it takes away. At 5-foot-9, Gauff is across the common top amongst prime gamers as of late, however she has lengthy legs. That may assist her cowl lots of floor with just some fast steps, however it may make balls that keep low on grass and hardcourts a tad harder for her.
If there was a standard thread in Gauff’s first three matches, it’s how nicely positioned she has so usually been. The balls hit the clay and bounce proper into her strike zone, giving her a sequence of belt-high fastballs that she will tee off on, whereas making the most of the additional cut up second the clay offers her to set her ft or slide into place.
All the time aggressive and attempting to find forehands, she’s going to inevitably make her share of errors, however up to now she has hit extra winners than unforced errors, which is at all times a very good signal for any participant. She has additionally hardly ever appeared off steadiness.
“I actually get pleasure from sliding,” she mentioned. “I believe it helps me get well sooner after I get to the ball. Then additionally, I imply, I play fairly heavy on my forehand, so I believe that clay bounces the ball up even larger.”
For her half, Anisimova, 20, additionally spent most of her childhood in Florida, however she mentioned she grew extra snug on the clay largely by enjoying lots of junior tournaments in Latin American international locations, the place crimson clay can be way more widespread than it’s in the USA.
Anisimova is a harmful returner, capable of punish the slower serves, particularly along with her near-lethal backhand. She additionally is aware of her footwork and motion stands out as the weakest a part of her still-developing recreation, and the longer factors on clay inevitably require her to cowl extra floor. The clay makes her weak point rather less weak.
“It offers me extra time,” she mentioned of the clay after her win over Muchova. “Exhausting courts typically is usually a bit too fast.”
