Coco Gauff’s French Open title defence ended on the same court where she won a Grand Slam title a year ago. Anastasia Potapova came back from a set down to outlast Gauff 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4.
Empty Seats on Court Philippe-Chatrier
While Gauff and Potapova battled, PSG faced off against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League Final. That sucked most of the ticket-holders and nearly all of the life out of the stadium. Instead of having throngs lifting Gauff in the match’s crucial moments, the action unfolded in front of wide swaths of empty wooden seats.
How Potapova Overcame Gauff
After losing her serve in the first game of the match, Gauff surged past Potapova after trailing 2-4, reeling off four games to take the first set. In the second set, Gauff fell behind 5-1, with Potapova holding two chances to serve out the set. Gauff caught fire once more, winning five straight games. With Potapova serving and trailing 5-6, Gauff got within two points of the finish line, but the Austrian held off the charge.
Suddenly, with room to breathe, Potapova sprinted through the tiebreak, winning 7 of 8 points, as Gauff sprayed errors every which way. She led 3-1 as Potapova seemed to lose the life in her legs. Once more, though, Gauff couldn’t finish her off, a problem that has dogged her throughout the clay-court swing and which she has mostly overcome until now.
Gauff’s Perspective on the Loss
In Gauff’s view, she lost in the same way she lost in Rome — not taking the initiative when it mattered most.
“Not good,” she said in a news conference. “You never want to lose the same way back to back, and I did, and I feel like also in Madrid, it was a similar thing, losing the same way. So, it’s one thing to lose, but I, I