Field Level Media
17 Aug 2022, 04:10 GMT+10
Coco Gauff withdrew during Tuesday's first-round match against the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova due to a left ankle injury sustained during the opening set of Bouzkova's 7-5, 1-0 win in the Western Southern Open at Mason, Ohio.
The 11th-seeded Gauff was leading 5-3 in the first set when she tumbled to the court and injured her lower leg at the Cincinnati-area tournament. She lost the next three games before being examined by a trainer.
Bouzkova then finished off the set and won the opening game of the second set before Gauff called it a day.
It was a difficult development for the 18-year-old, who lost in the quarterfinals in each of her previous two events. She also reached the French Open final in the spring before losing to Poland's Iga Swiatek, the top-ranked player in the world.
Gauff is playing doubles with Jessica Pegula in the tournament and there was no immediate word on whether she will continue. There also is the matter of the U.S. Open being less than two weeks away.
Bouzkova faces Alison Riske-Amritraj in the second round.
Meanwhile, Japan's Naomi Osaka also went down in the first round as China's Zhang Shuai outplayed her and won 6-4, 7-5 in just 75 minutes.
Osaka held a 10-4 edge in aces but won just 37.1 percent of her second-serve points in the disappointing setback. Osaka committed 29 unforced errors and had 21 winners.
Zhang, who has four aces, will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round.
Romania's Sorana Cirstea also registered an upset, beating 12th-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4. Cirstea had eight aces and saved five of seven break points during a match that took two hours and 38 minutes.
Czech Karolina Pliskova, seeded 14th, recorded a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Venus Williams. Pliskova had an 8-2 edge in aces.
"I think I finally got it to a better level," Pliskova said. "Hard court is my favorite. I always do well in America, so hoping for more matches here."
Pliskova will next face Belgium's Elise Mertens, who notched a 6-1, 6-1 win over Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina.
Also, Shelby Rogers hammered out nine aces while thrashing fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-1, 6-2 in just 66 minutes.
In other matches, Russia's Anna Kalinskaya beat Italy's Martina Trevisan 7-6 (2), 7-5, and Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk outlasted Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Tennis Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Tennis Times.
More InformationMADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
(Photo credit: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News / USA TODAY NETWORK) Four-star wide receiver Kaydon Finley has committed to Notre...
(Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images) Former NFL linebacker Bryan Braman is 'in the fight of his life,' battling a rare and aggressive...
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): A six-member Indian men's and women's skeet shooting squad will take first aim on Sunday (July 06,...
(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images) Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who has been suffering from an undisclosed medical condition,...
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson made a record-breaking return to the Kerala...
PARIS, France: France is taking stronger steps to reduce smoking. A new health rule announced on Saturday will soon ban smoking in...
VILNIUS, Lithuania – A growing body of research suggests that selectively restricting a single nutrient in our diet could have profound...
Abu Dhabi [UAE], July 5 (ANI/WAM): A UAE humanitarian aid ship carrying a range of relief materials has arrived to support the people...
* China's first LEGOLAND resort opened on Saturday in Shanghai. * Spanning 318,000 square meters, LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort is the...
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): India has emerged as one of the most equal societies globally, with a Gini Index of 25.5, according...
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 5 (ANI): The cumulative death toll in Himachal Pradesh's ongoing monsoon season has climbed...