Gauff disappointed by US Open loss to Osaka

NEW YORK:

Coco Gauff tried to put on a brave face yesterday after losing in the fourth round of the US Open for the second year in a row, this time to Naomi Osaka, saying: "I am not going to let this crush me."

The No. 3-seeded Gauff, who won the first of her two Grand Slam titles at Flushing Meadows in 2023, was undone by a slew of groundstroke errors and failed to do her usual strong job of returning, which all contributed to a 6-3, 6-2 victory for Osaka in just 64 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"I just made way too many mistakes -- way too many errors -- which I feel like that's the part of my game that I felt the most confident in, coming into the tournament. So it was kind of a weird match, feeling confident in different areas swapping," Gauff said. "I mean, it's disappointing. For sure, it was not the level that I wanted to bring."

The result was surprising, not just because Gauff was the higher seed -- Osaka is No. 23 -- and the more recent champion in New York, but also for just how lopsided it was and the way it came about.

Gauff's serving has been her biggest problem lately, and the shot she recently hired a new coach to help her with during this tournament, but it was good enough yesterday afternoon. The other parts of her game were the issue.

She never earned a break chance while returning and finished the match with 33 unforced errors, 20 on her forehand side. Osaka made a total of just 12 unforced errors.

"For me, I felt so discombobulated on the court, because it's like: I'm serving well, but not returning well," said Gauff, a 21-year-old from Florida. "The last two years, everybody can agree that's a weird thought."

She had five double-faults against Osaka, along with three aces, while getting broken four times.

BIGGEST STATEMENT

In the biggest statement yet that she is back at the height of her game, and again a serious contender for the sport's highest honours, Osaka reached her first major quarter-final in more than 4 1/2 years.

"She's one of the best players in the world. For me, honestly, I have the most fun when I play against the best players. I love when they hit amazing shots or they hit aces, because you know, that's how they won the tournaments that they won," Osaka said about Gauff. "I always see it as a challenge. I like challenges."

Osaka returned to the tour last season after a 17-month maternity leave. Her child, Shai, was born in July 2023.

"I was in the stands like two months after I gave birth to my daughter, watching Coco. I just really wanted an opportunity to come out here and play," Osaka told the crowd. "This is my favourite court in the world, and it means so much for me to be back here."

- AP