Coco Gauff loses in Berlin in first match since French Open title, turns attention to Wimbledon
BERLIN: Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff was stunned on her return to action Thursday, losing to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-3 at the Berlin Open.
The second-ranked Gauff, who won at Roland-Garros less than two weeks ago for her second Grand Slam title, amassed 25 unforced errors and seven double faults in her loss to Wang.
Gauff had a bye to the second round at the grass-court tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon.
'It was a tough one today but happy to be back on court,' Gauff wrote on her social media accounts. 'Tried my best to adjust with the quick turnaround but it wasn't enough. As always, I'm learning as I go so I hope to do better next time.'
The 21-year-old Gauff added that she is 'excited to get some more practices in to be ready for Wimbledon,' which starts June 30. She has not made it past the fourth round at the All England Club.
Wang, ranked No. 49, said she would have been pleased just with the first set Thursday, considering the level of her opponent.
'After I won the first set, I just told myself 'OK let's take a minute and enjoy this, I'm playing the French Open champion, and I won the first set,'' she said in her on-court interview.
'No matter how the second and third go, I was like, 'OK let's just enjoy it for a second,'' said Wang, who will face Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. 'I'm really happy with how I played today. I was serving good and putting a lot of pressure on the return, especially second-serve return.'
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka finished off Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (6) in a match that was suspended Wednesday after one set because of a slippery court.
Sabalenka had lost to Gauff at the French Open final and later apologized to the American for making 'unprofessional' comments after the Paris title match.
Sabalenka will meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
5 hours ago
- Arab News
World No.1 Sinner shocked in Halle second round by Bublik
HALLE WESTFALEN, Germany: Defending champion Jannik Sinner lost his second-round match on grass at Halle on Thursday to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, the Italian's first tournament since his French Open final defeat. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
Coco Gauff loses in Berlin in first match since French Open title, turns attention to Wimbledon
BERLIN: Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff was stunned on her return to action Thursday, losing to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-3 at the Berlin Open. The second-ranked Gauff, who won at Roland-Garros less than two weeks ago for her second Grand Slam title, amassed 25 unforced errors and seven double faults in her loss to Wang. Gauff had a bye to the second round at the grass-court tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon. 'It was a tough one today but happy to be back on court,' Gauff wrote on her social media accounts. 'Tried my best to adjust with the quick turnaround but it wasn't enough. As always, I'm learning as I go so I hope to do better next time.' The 21-year-old Gauff added that she is 'excited to get some more practices in to be ready for Wimbledon,' which starts June 30. She has not made it past the fourth round at the All England Club. Wang, ranked No. 49, said she would have been pleased just with the first set Thursday, considering the level of her opponent. 'After I won the first set, I just told myself 'OK let's take a minute and enjoy this, I'm playing the French Open champion, and I won the first set,'' she said in her on-court interview. 'No matter how the second and third go, I was like, 'OK let's just enjoy it for a second,'' said Wang, who will face Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. 'I'm really happy with how I played today. I was serving good and putting a lot of pressure on the return, especially second-serve return.' Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka finished off Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (6) in a match that was suspended Wednesday after one set because of a slippery court. Sabalenka had lost to Gauff at the French Open final and later apologized to the American for making 'unprofessional' comments after the Paris title match. Sabalenka will meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
Asharq Al-Awsat
9 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Spain's King Makes Nadal a Marquis
Spain's King Felipe VI on Thursday granted tennis great Rafa Nadal the noble title of marquis, recognizing his contribution to the nation through sporting prowess, according to a royal household statement. Nadal, a 22-times Grand Slam champion who retired last year, was among six individuals honored as part of celebrations marking the monarch's 10th anniversary on the throne, Reuters reported. Other given such titles included pop-rock singer Luz Casal and Paralympic swimmer Teresa Perales. "They are a source of pride for Spain and a permanent reference point for values that should inspire our society," the palace said. Former world number one Nadal, 39, will hold the title Marquis of Llevant de Mallorca, the island where he was born and lives. The title can be inherited by his descendants. Nadal, who won the French Open a record 14 times, was commemorated last month at Roland Garros with a permanent footprint on the Center Court.
