On US Open Day 7, Cristina Bucsa is set to face one of the toughest possible follow-ups in Coco Gauff. The matchup comes after Bucsa barely made it through her second-round match, a sharp contrast to the kind of level she will likely need to challenge Gauff in New York City.
Bucsa did at least arrive with one important win already on her side. In the first round of the US Open, she beat Sara Bejlek, giving her a quality result to build on. But the tournament has also shown how thin the margin can be, and Bucsa’s path has not been especially smooth.
Why the matchup looks difficult
The main concern is form. Bucsa is coming off a months-long cold streak, and that matters when the next opponent is Gauff, who passed a stern test against Paula Badosa. Even in a Grand Slam setting, that creates a clear imbalance in expectations.
As Amanda put it, Bucsa “barely made it through her second-round match” and is “coming off a months-long cold streak.” That same preview also noted that, while Bucsa’s win over Sara Bejlek was solid, Gauff is a much tougher test and Bucsa would need a steep rise in level for even a chance.
What Bucsa has to improve
This is less about one clean performance and more about whether Bucsa can raise her level quickly enough to stay competitive. Barely surviving the second round is not ideal preparation for facing an opponent like Gauff, especially when the margins tighten in the later stages of a Grand Slam.
Still, Bucsa has already shown she can get through the early rounds in this event. The question now is whether that is enough to make the next step interesting, or whether Gauff’s current level will prove too much from the start.
