By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Tuesday, July 30, 2024

 

Coco Gauff pleads her case to the supervisor during the second set on Court Philippe Chatrier. Donna Vekic won the final five games in row beating Gauff 7-6(7), 6-2 to reach her first Olympic quarterfinal.

Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Carrying Old Glory and medal dreams into Paris, Coco Gauff crashed out of the Olympics singles in controversy and tears today.

A determined Donna Vekic fought back from 1-4 down in the opener, saved two set points in the tiebreaker and reeled off the final five games in a row defeating a frustrated Gauff 7-6(7), 6-2 to roar into the Paris Olympic quarterfinals.

More: Djokovic, Roddick Call Out Olympics

Empowered by her run to the Wimbledon semifinals, Vekic joins American Danielle Collins in the last eight.

The eighth-seeded Collins conquered Colombia's Camila Osorio 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals where she could play world No. 1 and four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek.

The American female flag bearer alongside NBA legend LeBron James, Gauff arrived in the City of Light determined to medal in her maiden Games.

US Open champion Gauff unraveled after dropping serve on a controversial call in the sixth game of the second set. Gauff lost a five-minute argument and lost every game after that.

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"I can’t say I would have won the match if I had won that point," Gauff said afterward. "But for sure being down a break, whereas maybe replaying that point can make a big difference in that game.

"But I’m not going to sit here and say one point affected the result today because I was already on the losing side of things before that happened. Donna played well. She’s been playing well throughout Wimbledon till now so I knew it would be a tough match. I had a lot of chances in the first. If I had clinched that set it might have helped my momentum in the second.”

The veteran Vekic did not let the disruption deter her.

"[It was] a very tricky situation," Vekic said afterward. "I personally thought the umpire made a good decision because the call came quite late."

Controversy erupted when a Vekic return that landed clearly inside the baseline was incorrectly called out by the linesman. The call seemed to come as Gauff was striking a forehand that she netted or immediately after she made contact.

The linesman immediately yelled “correction” self-correcting his initial out call.

The chair umpire ruled the call did not impede Gauff’s forehand swing, therefore the point went to Vekic, who broke for a 4-2 second-set lead.

Gauff never recovered.

An annoyed and emotional Gauff immediately argued her case to the chair umpire and eventually called for the supervisor, who supported the chair umpire’s decision. That decision left Gauff pinching back tears recalling past costly calls.

The controversial call will be debated, but Vekic’s performance should not be overshadowed here.

The 13th-seeded Croatian has not dropped a set in three tournament victories. Vekic will play either No. 7-seeded Greek Maria Sakkari or No. 12-seeded Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for a semifinal spot.

Coming off an inspired run to the Wimbledon semifinals where she was a few points from victory only to fall short to Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 4-6, 6-7(8) in the longest Wimbledon women’s semifinal, Vekic fought valiantly and played shrewdly today.

Vekic pounded Gauff’s weaker forehand wing until it bled errors and boldly tested the legs of one of the fastest women in the game with clever drop shots forcing the American to sometimes dig low balls out of the dirt with her western-grip forehand. 

World No. 21 Vekic more than tripled Gauff’s winner output—37 to 10—beat the American up in forehand crosscourt exchanges, converted four of six break points and saved seven of the nine break points she faced.

Sabotaged by her second serve, Gauff’s double faults came at the wrong time. The Delray Beach-born baseliner committed seven double faults—including a double fault that preceded that controversial call to end the sixth game and a double fault when she served at 2-5 to try to extend the match. Ultimately, Gauff's forehand failed her at too many critical stages.

You cannot give a world-class player of Vekic’s caliber nearly two games worth of doubles and drop back and defend as Gauff did if you’re not cracking your first serve with authority and winning plenty of free points on serve. Vekic hit five aces, while Gauff did not hit an ace all day.

Still, Gauff held set point at 6-5 in the tiebreaker when Vekic stepped in and smacked a forehand winner down the line erasing set point.

Attacking behind a forehand swing volley, Vekic again forced Gauff on defense to earn set point at 7-6. Trying to target the American’s forehand wing, Vekic spit up her second double fault for 7-all.

Gauff was in charge on the ensuing point but shoveled a forehand drop shot into net as Vekic gained a second set point at 8-7. When Gauff missed a backhand, Vekic snatched a one-set lead with a clenched fist.

Court Philippe Chatrier fans were screaming support. Gauff responded banging a backhand right off the baseline to level the second set after two games.

Sending shots side-to-side, Gauff was using her movement to extend points forcing Vekic to hit the extra ball. On break point, Vekic double-faulted into net as Gauff earned early first-break blood again for a 2-1 second-set lead.

Gauff gave the gift back: She double-faulted on break point as Vekic evened after four games.

Double faulting again to face a break point in the fifth game, controversy struck.

A Vekic forehand return landed inside the baseline was wrongly called out. The call seemed to come as Gauff was striking a forehand which she netted.

The linesman immediately yelled “Correction” self-correcting his initial out call. Instead of replaying the point, the chair umpire ruled the linesperson’s “out” call did not disrupt Gauff’s forehand swing, therefore it was Vekic’s point, game and a 4-2 lead to the Croatian.

“He called it out before I hit the ball…You have to be `100 percent sure. He called it out before I hit the ball,” Gauff said.

“That doesn’t matter,” the chair umpire replied.

“Yes it does—he called it out before I hit it. I was pulling back to hit the ball—he called it out before I hit it,” Gauff argued.

“Based on your reaction I might be wrong but I have to take this decision,” the chair umpire replied.

During about a five-minute argument Gauff called for the supervisor, who supported the chair umpire’s ruling.

At that point, Gauff seemed on the verge of tears recalling prior calls that went against her as it all piledup on her.

“It always happens to me at the French Open, it always happens to me,” Gauff said. “I always have to advocate for myself…. I never argue calls and you know this...I'm gettting cheated...

"This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair. You guys apologize afterward and you guys [know] this is not fair. You guys are not fair to me. I hope that one day the game will become fair but it’s not.”

Initially, a fired-up Gauff channeled anger into action earning triple break point.

Vekic, who showed good sportsmanship pausing at the start of the game out of respect for her upset opponent, faced the threat with complete calm. Vekic saved both break points then went to the drop shot again. This time it sat up, Gauff swooped in, had an easy putaway on her forehand, but inexplicably played it right back to the Croatian. Vekic looped a lob winner erasing the third break point.

Credit Vekic for keeping cool amid the emotional turbulence that saw some fans chanting Coco’s name. Vekic stopped play, circling a ball mark on a Gauff drive that strayed long. The chair umpire inspected the mark, ruled it was out as Vekic capped a hard-fought hold for 5-2.

 

 

 

 

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