By Pritha Sarkar

LONDON (Reuters) – There was no need for Coco Gauff to hide away from the spotlight on Monday as she banished memories of her 2023 Wimbledon nightmare with a 6-1 6-2 first-round destruction of fellow American Caroline Dolehide.

On the eve of this year’s grasscourt championships, Gauff had admitted she had been “in a dark place” following her opening round exit in London last year but armed with the knowledge that things “couldn’t get any worse” this time round, she was simply unstoppable against her 51st-ranked rival.

“Last year I lost in the first round and it was very tough for me, that’s why I am a little emotional and that’s why I was happy to turn it around,” Gauff told the crowd on court.

The 20-year-old, now a Grand Slam champion having won the U.S. Open in September, dropped only one point on serve during a formidable first-set performance.

Such was her confidence she conjured an incredible crosscourt lob into the far corner which she greeted with a one-armed salute as the Centre Court crowd jumped to their feet to roar their approval.

The world number two kept up the barrage of winners in the second set and despite overcooking a forehand on her first match point, she made no mistake on her second.

(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Ed Osmond)