Coco Gauff has let a giant lead slip away and wound up dropping the final 5 video games of a mistake-filled 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 6-2 loss to Anastasia Potapova within the third spherical of the Miami Open.
The No.6-seeded Gauff was essential of herself afterwards, saying that her footwork wasn’t nice, that her mindset was off and that she performed too defensively after serving for the victory at 5-3 within the second set on Saturday.
“I think it should be more used as a tool in a toolbox than as a weapon,” the 19-year-old stated.
“I think I have to change my mentality in the game about not relying on that too much because I think sometimes I play a little bit too passive because I know I can get to balls.”
She overcame a 5-2 deficit within the opening set, then erased a pair of set factors for Potapova in that tiebreaker earlier than taking it on her second likelihood with a cross-court backhand winner.
The 2022 French Open runner-up then gave the impression to be pulling away, going up a break within the second set at 5-3. But Gauff eased up and Potapova turned extra aggressive of their prolonged baseline back-and-forths, taking 4 video games in a row.
When the Twenty seventh-seeded Potapova pressured a 3rd set with a backhand winner, she dropped her racket, clenched each fists, leaned ahead and yelled.
“It was a very tough match. It was very physical and it was very hot out there,” Potapova stated.
“I was trying to stay cool and just fight for every point and (not) think about the score, especially in the second set.”
Gauff briefly went up 2-1 within the decider, however wouldn’t gather one other recreation. She wound up with 34 unforced errors — in comparison with 20 winners — and was damaged six instances in a match that lasted greater than two-and-a-half hours.
“My mind just wasn’t all the way in today,” Gauff stated.
Potapova, who had been 0-2 in opposition to Gauff beforehand, subsequent faces Zheng Qinwen within the fourth spherical after the Chinese world No.23 beat Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
Other outcomes included Jessica Pegula’s 6-1 7-6 (7-0) win over fellow American Danielle Collins. Magda Linette loved a 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4 victory over three-time Miami Open champion Victoria Azarenka and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko scored a 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory in opposition to Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
