London (AFP) – American second seed Coco Gauff suffered a stunning Wimbledon defeat as the French Open champion was beaten 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 by Ukrainian world number 42 Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday. Gauff was expected to make a strong run at the All England Club after her triumph at Roland Garros in June. But instead of building on her success on the Paris clay, the 21-year-old endured her earliest Grand Slam exit since another first-round loss at Wimbledon in 2023.
Yastremska powered to victory in 78 minutes on Court One, with Gauff joining third seed Jessica Pegula and fifth seed Zheng Qinwen as high-profile departures from the tournament on Tuesday. Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, has failed to get past the fourth round in each of her six visits to Wimbledon. She paid the price for an unusually error-strewn display featuring nine double-faults, 29 unforced errors, and just six winners.
Related news
Yastremska has previously claimed she has an allergy to grass, but the 25-year-old’s shock success against Gauff extended an impressive recent run on the surface. Known as one of the more glamorous players on the women’s tour for her high-profile Instagram modeling, Yastremska made the Nottingham final and the Eastbourne quarter-finals in June.
“It was a great match today. I was really on fire, even my nails have fire on them,” Yastremska said. “Playing Coco is special. These courts are made for the greatest players so I’m very grateful to play here. It’s really unexpected. I love playing on grass. I feel this year we are kind of friends. I hope the road can continue for me.”
© 2024 AFP
