PagainCoco Gauff’s hopes of winning Olympic singles gold were dashed in the third round. The American fell 7-6 (7) and 6-2 to Croatian Donna Vekic in hot conditions at Roland Garros.
The world No. 2 took a 5-2 lead in the opening set but Vekic responded in inspired fashion to turn the match around with some stunning groundstrokes.
In the second set, the reigning US Open champion was left in tears after going 4-2 down in a rally in which she argued with the umpire for several minutes before continuing.
For Gauff, the outcome was like a movie played over again: a ruling she considered unfair, a judge who didn’t side with her, and the same venue — the clay of the Philippe Chatrier stadium. This is the main stage of the French Open, where Gauff experienced something identical last month when she lost to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals.
“It’s something that’s happened to me a few times this year, and I feel like I always have to stand up for myself on the court,” Gauff said.
Donna Vekic reacts after defeating Coco Gauff. Photo Ap
It all happened with two games to go in the match, with Gauff far behind. She served and Vekic’s return hit the baseline. The line umpire initially called the ball out and Gauff did not keep it in play. But chair umpire Jaume Campistol considered Vekic’s shot to be good and credited her with the point that broke serve and took the lead (4-2).
Gauff approached the judge to complain, delaying the action for several minutes.
The Philippe Chatrier crowd rallied behind the tournament’s second-ranked player, but 13th-seeded Vekic sealed the victory as the American’s game disintegrated. Gauff will now turn her attention to the mixed and women’s doubles competition.
#Surprise #Olympic #tennis #Coco #Gauff #eliminated
– 2024-08-03 12:58:33
