Photo credit: www.skysports.com

Coco Gauff Exits WTA 1000 in Qatar Following Early Defeat

Coco Gauff faced a disappointing early exit at the WTA 1000 event in Qatar, falling in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk during the second round. The match concluded with a score of 6-2, 7-5, showcasing a struggle for the young American star.

Ranked No. 3 in the world, Gauff’s performance in Doha came as she returned to competition following her quarter-final elimination at the Australian Open, where she lost to Paula Badosa. This recent match marked a challenging comeback for Gauff, who notably amassed 39 unforced errors and managed to hit just eight winners throughout the contest.

During the decisive moments of the second set, Gauff experienced a series of misfortunes, including consecutive double faults that gifted Kostyuk two match points. This occurred in the 12th game of the set, where Gauff’s backhand error sealed the match for the Ukrainian player.

Following her victory, Kostyuk, currently ranked No. 21, expressed her appreciation for Gauff’s competitive spirit in her on-court remarks. “Coco is an incredible fighter. We always have incredible matches. I tried to stick to what I had to do. I’m very happy it worked out in two sets,” she noted.

Gauff’s struggles were evident as she completed the first set having won less than half of her first-serve points, resulting in three service breaks. Although she initially took a 3-1 lead in the second set, her momentum faltered, and she was broken twice, ultimately leading to her defeat.

In other tournament highlights, World No. 2 Iga Swiatek began her quest for a fourth consecutive Qatar Open title with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Maria Sakkari. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was set to commence her tournament on Tuesday, facing off against Ekaterina Alexandrova, who recently eliminated Emma Raducanu.

The defeat for Raducanu, who lost to Alexandrova with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-5, marks her third consecutive first-round exit and continues a trend of challenges for the British player, following a third-round loss to Swiatek at the Australian Open, where she suffered a heavy defeat of 6-1, 6-0.

Stay tuned to catch live coverage of the ATP and WTA Tours, along with the US Open, available on Sky Sports in 2025, or you can stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app.

Source
www.skysports.com