Sensation at the Olympics: Coco Gauff has been eliminated from the women’s singles tournament
31 july 2024 в 03:13
Coco Gauff leaves the Olympic women’s singles competition in controversial circumstances after a 6−7, 2−6 defeat to Croatian Donna Vekic on the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland Garros.
After the match, Gauff said: «I constantly feel like I’m being cheated in this game», - adding: «It happens to me, it happened to Serena Williams».
Gauff was trailing 3−2 in the second set when she faced a break point at 30−40. When the 20-year-old athlete stepped back to make a backhand shot, the linesman called the previous shot out, as she had touched the ball.
Chair umpire Jaume Campistol awarded the point to Vekic, which Gauff found extremely dissatisfying. A five-minute argument ensued, during which Gauff defended her position and became very emotional.
«I felt like he called it before my shot, and I don’t think the umpire disagreed», - Gauff said. «I think he just thought it didn’t affect my shot, which I felt it did».
«This has happened to me several times this year — when I always feel like I have to be my own defender on the court», - Gauff added.
Gauff — one of the brightest stars of the Paris 2024 Olympics, seeded number 2 in the singles event and the flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony on Friday.
She easily won her first two singles matches, losing only five games. But her first Olympic singles tournament ended with a performance that was far from her best on the hottest day of the Summer Games so far, with temperatures rising above 32 degrees Celsius.
Gauff led 4−1 and was one step away from going up 5−1 and serving for the set. But she couldn’t close the deal, and then missed several set points at 6−4 in the subsequent tiebreak. Vekic rallied towards the end of that set, and then maintained her level in the second.
«I believe there should be a VAR system in tennis, because these points are big deals. Usually they apologize afterwards, so it’s quite annoying when apologies don’t help after the match», - Gauff said.
The dispute with the umpire in the second set, Gauff later explained, did not change the outcome of the match.
«Donna played well», - Gauff said. «She's been playing well throughout Wimbledon so far, so I knew it was going to be a tough match. I think I had a lot of chances in the first set, and I felt like if I could have won that set, it could have helped me with the momentum in the second».
«I'm not going to sit here and say that one point affected the result today», - Gauff admitted, «because I was already on the losing side»
After the match, Gauff said: «I constantly feel like I’m being cheated in this game», - adding: «It happens to me, it happened to Serena Williams».
Gauff was trailing 3−2 in the second set when she faced a break point at 30−40. When the 20-year-old athlete stepped back to make a backhand shot, the linesman called the previous shot out, as she had touched the ball.
Chair umpire Jaume Campistol awarded the point to Vekic, which Gauff found extremely dissatisfying. A five-minute argument ensued, during which Gauff defended her position and became very emotional.
«I felt like he called it before my shot, and I don’t think the umpire disagreed», - Gauff said. «I think he just thought it didn’t affect my shot, which I felt it did».
«This has happened to me several times this year — when I always feel like I have to be my own defender on the court», - Gauff added.
Gauff — one of the brightest stars of the Paris 2024 Olympics, seeded number 2 in the singles event and the flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony on Friday.
She easily won her first two singles matches, losing only five games. But her first Olympic singles tournament ended with a performance that was far from her best on the hottest day of the Summer Games so far, with temperatures rising above 32 degrees Celsius.
Gauff led 4−1 and was one step away from going up 5−1 and serving for the set. But she couldn’t close the deal, and then missed several set points at 6−4 in the subsequent tiebreak. Vekic rallied towards the end of that set, and then maintained her level in the second.
«I believe there should be a VAR system in tennis, because these points are big deals. Usually they apologize afterwards, so it’s quite annoying when apologies don’t help after the match», - Gauff said.
The dispute with the umpire in the second set, Gauff later explained, did not change the outcome of the match.
«Donna played well», - Gauff said. «She's been playing well throughout Wimbledon so far, so I knew it was going to be a tough match. I think I had a lot of chances in the first set, and I felt like if I could have won that set, it could have helped me with the momentum in the second».
«I'm not going to sit here and say that one point affected the result today», - Gauff admitted, «because I was already on the losing side»
© Kolganov Andrey
