Gauff loses opening match at Luxembourg Open

Posted October 16, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

LUXEMBOURG (AP) - Coco Gauff lost her opening match at the Luxembourg Open in straight sets on Wednesday, just three days after winning her first WTA title in Austria.

Eighth-seeded Anna Blinkova of Russia beat the American 15-year-old 6-4, 6-0 in their first-round match. Gauff won just eight points in the second set and Blinkova clinched the victory with a forehand winner to set up a second-round meeting with Tatjana Maria.

Gauff became the youngest player to win a WTA tournament since 2004 when she beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the final in Linz on Sunday.

"I know she's a great player and I knew she was coming off a WTA tournament win, so I was well prepared," Blinkova said.

Fifth-seeded Viktoria Kuzmova was also eliminated, losing to Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-2, 6-3.

Third-seeded Elena Rybakina advanced easily by beating Denisa Allertova 6-2, 6-1, while Margarita Gasparyan defeated Monica Niculescu 6-2, 7-5.

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