Coco Gauff loses lead, match against Potapova at Miami Open

Coco Gauff let a big lead slip away and wound up dropping the last five games of a mistake-filled 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2 loss to Anastasia Potapova in the third round of the Miami Open on Saturday.

The No. 6-seeded Gauff, a 19-year-old from nearby in Florida, heard chants of “Let’s go, Coco!” from spectators at the hard-court tournament as she overcame a 5-2 deficit in the opening set, then erased a pair of set points for Potapova in that tiebreaker. Gauff grabbed the set on her second chance with a cross-court backhand winner.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 25: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates a point against Anastasia Potapova in their second round match at Hard Rock Stadium on March 25, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The 2022 French Open runner-up then seemed to be pulling away, moving ahead 5-3 in the second set and serving for the victory. But Gauff eased up and Potapova became more aggressive in their lengthy baseline back-and-forths, taking four games in a row on a sunny afternoon with the temperature above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (nearing 30 degrees Celsius).

When the 27th-seeded Potapova forced a third set with a backhand winner, she dropped her racket, clenched both fists, leaned forward and yelled.

Gauff briefly went up 2-1 in the deciding set, but would not collect another game. She wound up with 34 unforced errors — compared to 20 winners — and was broken six times in a match that lasted more than 2 1/2 hours.

When Gauff dumped a backhand return into the net to fall to 1-5 against seeded opponents this season, Potapova covered her mouth with a hand and shook her head. She had been 0-2 against Gauff previously, but now will move on to face No. 23 Zheng Qinwen in the fourth round.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 25: Anastasia Potapova shakes hands at the net after her three set victory against Coco Gauff of the United States in their second round match at Hard Rock Stadium on March 25, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Zheng beat No. 12 Liudmila Samsonova 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3 earlier Saturday, when other results included 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko’s 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory against No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia.

In men’s action, No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Australian Open runner-up who is coming off a loss in his opening match at Indian Wells, California, this month, moved on when Richard Gasquet withdrew before they were scheduled to play because of an injured ankle. That means Tsitsipas, who was given a bye like all seeded players, reached a third-round matchup with qualifier Cristian Garin without having played a point yet at the Miami Open.

Garin defeated No. 27 Sebastian Baez 7-6 (2), 6-3, while in other men’s second-round contests: Jiri Lehecka eliminated No. 18 Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4; Mackenzie McDonald edged No. 19 Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5); and 119th-ranked American qualifier Christopher Eubanks earned his first career victory over someone ranked inside the top 50 by coming back to beat No. 20 Borna Coric 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

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