REIGNING CHAMPION COCO Gauff’s French Open title defence came to an end in the third round on Saturday as top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka both won to set up a blockbuster last-16 clash.
Gauff went down 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova as the top seeds continued to fall in the opening week at Roland Garros.
The 22-year-old fourth seed had been a break-up in the deciding set before Potapova put together a run of five games for the loss of just one to condemn Gauff to her earliest Roland Garros exit since her debut in Paris six years ago.
The two-time major winner insisted that being the reigning champion had not affected her play, unlike in 2024 when she was defending her title in New York.
“I think at the US Open it did a lot more but honestly this time it didn’t. I wasn’t really nervous,” Gauff said.
“That’s what’s more frustrating because I felt like I learned a lot from that US Open experience and I’m a better player since then and I just don’t think I portrayed that today.”
In a match defined by breaks of serve, Gauff conceded the crucial 10th game of the final set despite being 30-0 up behind her own delivery with a double fault sandwiched between two booming Potapova winners, before a powerful return on her second serve forced her to hit long and bid adieu to the French capital.
It was a third win for Potapova against Gauff – in their first meeting since 2023 – but she said it was a “top three (career victory) for sure”.
With it she equalled her best ever Grand Slam performance, when she also reached the fourth round at the French Open two years ago. She can better that on Monday when she faces 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya.
Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova also departed as the American fell in a third-set tie-break to France’s Diane Parry.
Earlier, Sabalenka beat Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 in just 76 minutes to stamp her ticket to the fourth round.
After racing through the first set, Sabalenka went an early break down to her 53rd-ranked opponent before battling back.
The Belarusian world number set up a meeting with her fellow quadruple major winner Osaka.
Sabalenka and Osaka, both 28, have won two Australian Opens and two US Opens apiece.
Sabalenka has beaten Osaka twice this season, but Osaka won their only meeting at a major – at the same stage in the 2018 US Open, the first of her major titles.
“I’m just ready for the fight,” Sabalenka said of facing Osaka. “I’m ready to go out there to fight for that match, for that win. Ready to do anything it takes to get the win.”
The Japanese 16th seed battled past American 18-year-old Iva Jovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 to progress.
“I was a lot calmer than in my first matches… In a Slam the further I get, the calmer I am. It’s such an honour to be here. It’s the furthest I have ever been here,” Osaka, who had never before gone past the last 32 at Roland Garros, said.
With the men’s side of the draw wide open following the shock early exits of top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, Flavio Cobolli laid down a marker with an emphatic victory over Learner Tien.
The Italian 10th seed beat the American 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 45 minutes.
“I know that… for sure we (will) have a new Grand Slam champion, but I don’t want to think about this,” Cobolli said. “For sure I have now another tough match.”
Cobolli will next meet Zachary Svajda, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.
American world number 85 Svajda upset 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo to continue his best ever run at a Grand Slam.
Cerundolo’s brother, Juan Manuel, who beat Sinner in the last round in five sets, emerged victorious from an epic five-setter that clocked in at two minutes shy of six hours against Martin Landaluce.
He will face Matteo Berrettini, who will be marginally fresher than the 24-year-old after spending only five hours and 13 minutes on court for his 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (15/13) win over Francisco Comesana.
The fairytale run of French 17-year-old Moise Kouame came to an end as he went down in four sets to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.
Later on Saturday, Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime meets Brandon Nakashima in the night session.
Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.