By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday May 14, 2023
Coco Gauff dropped a three-setter to Marie Bouzkova on Sunday in Rome.
Photo Source: Getty
Coco Gauff was in the driver’s seat against Marie Bouzkova on Sunday, holding a 6-4 lead, but the American let it slip, winning just four games the rest of the way as the Czech prevailed 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the round of 16.
27th-seeded Bouzkova nets her third Top 5 win and improves to 2-0 lifetime over Gauff. The 38th-ranked Czech improves to 7-10 on the season while Gauff drops to 18-8.
She will face Veronika Kudermetova, the No. 11 seed, in the round of 16. It was an impressive turnaround for Bouzkova, who wrestled momentum from Gauff in the second set, then again in the third after Gauff had held serve twice without dropping a single point to get to two-all.
From there Bouzkova took the final four games with heady, aggressive play as Gauff failed to take the initiative and went rather quietly.
2021 semifinalist Gauff drops to 3-3 on the clay this season with her loss, as Bouzkova takes a big step at rebuilding her form with her seventh career Top 10 win.
“I kind of knew that I had to elevate my game to get the win today, and at least stay in the match," Bouzkova said afterwards.
Bouzkova didn’t face a break point in the second and third sets – another indication of Gauff’s inability to seize the critical moments on Sunday.