Tennis: Gauff's singles hopes melt away in defeat by Vekic

PARIS: American Coco Gauff's hopes of singles gold at the Olympics evaporated in the third round as she argued with officials and slumped to a 7-6(7) 6-2 defeat by Croatia's Donna Vekic in furnace-like conditions at Roland Garros on Tuesday (Jul 30).

The 20-year-old second seed marched into a 5-2 lead in the opening set but Vekic responded with some sublime claycourt tennis to turn the match on its head.

Vekic saved two set points in a crucial opening set tiebreak and was the better player as she became the first Croatian to reach the Olympic women's singles quarter-finals since Iva Majoli in 1996.

US Open champion Gauff was left angry and in tears as an over-ruled line call saw her slip 4-2 down in the second set, the American being overheard saying "I'm being cheated."

Her long protestations with the umpire and supervisor came to nothing though.

The sun-baked Philippe Chatrier crowd got behind Gauff after that but ice-cool Vekic, seeded 13th, sealed the win as the American's game disintegrated. Olympic debutant Gauff will now focus on mixed doubles and women's doubles.

Gauff refused to blame the dispute for her loss but insisted, with some justification, that the point should have been replayed because the line judge's initial shout of "out" impeded her stroke.

"I felt that he called it before I hit and I don't think the referee disagreed but he just thought it didn't affect my swing which I felt like it did," she told reporters.

"I mean, there's been multiple times this year where that happened to me, where I feel like I always have to be an advocate for myself on the court.

"I feel like in tennis we should have a VR (video review) because these points are big deals. Afterwards they apologise, but sorry doesn't help you once