Emotional Gauff blames switch from clay to grass for Wimbledon defeat
The French Open champion looked uncomfortable under the roof on Court One and failed to find any serving rhythm as she succumbed 7-6(3) 6-1 to Ukrainian world number 42 Dayana Yastremska.
Gauff was eager to give her big-hitting opponent credit for the win but said she would probably change her tactics in future during the three weeks between Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
'I just feel like the surface I maybe could have used more matches. It's like finding the puzzle,' the American second seed said.
Djokovic passes Muller test to reach Wimbledon second round
'It's a quick turnaround, so I think just trying to learn on whether it's better to train more and maybe play Bad Homburg or Eastbourne.'
Gauff, 21, was knocked out in the first round at Berlin and had little other grasscourt practice before Wimbledon.
Her win in Paris was the second Grand Slam victory of her career following last year's U.S. Open triumph.
'I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards, so I didn't feel like I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it,' she said.
Gauff wiped away tears as she discussed her disappointment at failing to adjust to the surface, which she said was harder to adapt to than from clay to hard court.
'I have faith that if I can make these adjustments, I can do well here. I really do want to do well here. I'm not someone who wants to write myself off grass this early in my career, but I definitely need to make changes if I want to be successful here,' she said.
'I'm trying to be positive. After the match, I definitely was struggling in the locker room. I don't like losing.'
Gauff slipped over several times early in the match, while Yastremska looked sure-footed as she pummelled the American with winners from the baseline.
The Ukrainian had reached the final of the Nottingham tournament as well as the quarter-finals at Eastbourne in the run-up to Wimbledon.
'Dayana played great. I felt like I wasn't playing terrible in some points, and she was hitting winners.'
Gauff followed compatriot and third seed Jessica Pegula out of the tournament in the first round on Tuesday.
'I feel like historically Wimbledon always has so many upsets in first rounds here… it's always a topic.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business Recorder
From Grand Slam to grand struggle, Krejcikova lives to fight on
LONDON: Barbora Krejcikova's Wimbledon defence is still alive — but only just. The Czech squeezed past American Caroline Dolehide 6-4 3-6 6-2 in a second-round tussle that was all grind and no grandeur. There was zero champion's polish on show as the Czech creaked her way into the third round, surviving a match as scrappy as a Henman Hill picnic after a seagull raid. 'A huge relief,' she said afterwards to polite applause from the crowd. 'Really up and down points, turning one way and the other … I am so grateful I can keep going.' Court Two spectators, many blissfully unaware that they were watching the reigning champion, might be forgiven — Krejcikova herself barely looked the part. Brilliant Djokovic hits flow state to crush Britain's Evans A season dogged by back and thigh niggles has left the 29-year-old short of sharpness, and her patchy 4-3 record for the season coming in was on full display in a match strewn with errors. Spraying foreheads wide of their mark and dumping backhands into the net, nothing suggested a twice Grand Slam champion was holding court. At times the contest resembled less a Grand Slam match and more a practice session between two very rusty players - Krejcikova produced 39 unforced errors, while Dolehide got fewer than half her first serves in all match. The pair exchanged errors and breaks of serve throughout – Dolehide trying to power her way into the contest while Krejcikova sought to claw her way to victory on the back of slow, sliced forehands whispering back to a gentler age. Scarcely can a champion have produced such a lukewarm performance on the Grand Slam stage but it would be fair to say the Czech blows hot and cold on the tennis court. French Open champion in 2021, she has followed that title run with three first-round defeats and one second round showing at Roland Garros in the years since. Her form can read like a nursery rhyme. When she's good, she's very, very good — Grand Slam good. But when the gears don't quite catch, when timing slips or confidence wavers, she can unravel just as spectacularly. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 19th-century American poet and nursery rhyme writer, had it: when she is good, she is very, very good — but when she is bad, she is horrid. Still, the 17th seed did just enough to scrape through to gentle applause and a sterner test ahead: 10th seed Emma Navarro, who won't be quite so generous.
Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Ageless Djokovic routs Evans at Wimbledon
Serbia's Novak Djokovic (R) embraces Britain's Daniel Evans after winning his men's singles second round match on fourth day of Wimbledon Championships in London. PHOTO: AFP Novak Djokovic crushed British wildcard Dan Evans in the Wimbledon second round as he stepped up his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title, while defending women's champion Barbora Krejcikova seeks to prolong her love affair with the All England Club. After three days of stunning upsets at Wimbledon, Djokovic avoided becoming the latest star to crash out in second-round action. The Serb needed just one hour and 47 minutes to dispatch Evans with a ruthless 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 victory on Centre Court. "It means I've been playing quite a long time!" Djokovic said when told he had just secured his 99th Wimbledon match victory. "I still enjoy it. This court has given me so much. Wimbledon has a special place in my heart. Any history made here is obviously extra special." Djokovic is dreaming of putting an exclamation point on his incredible career by becoming the most successful singles player in tennis history. The 38-year-old has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam titles since winning his most recent major prize at the 2023 US Open. And despite losing the last two Wimbledon finals against Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic believes the lawns of south-west London provide his best chance to win that elusive 25th major. "I'm aware of the history on the line. I'm thinking about the big things I can do in this tournament," he said. "I don't reflect on it for now. I think that will come when I sip a margarita on the beach with (Roger) Federer and (Rafael) Nadal!" Krejcikova and world number one Jannik Sinner follow onto court later on Thursday, with both doubtless looking to steer clear of fresh giant-killing acts. Eight top 10 seeds in the men's and women's singles were beaten in the first round, which ranks as the most at a Grand Slam in the Open era. Italy's Jasmine Paolini, last year's Wimbledon runner-up, was defeated in the second round on Wednesday to leave only one of the top five women's seeds — world number one Aryna Sabalenka — still standing. Krejcikova looked in deep trouble in her opening match before cutting out the errors and finding another gear to see off Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in three sets. The Czech 17th seed next takes on US player Caroline Dolehide, whom she has faced just once, beating her on clay in the United States in 2019. Krejcikova has had a miserable time with injuries this year and arrived at Wimbledon with just six matches under her belt in 2025. But the two-time Grand Slam champion is relishing being back on the hallowed turf of the All England Club, describing walking onto Centre Court for her first-round match as a "very beautiful and just very joyful experience". "It's just great to be back," she said. "It's just great to be playing in the temple of tennis. It's just a very, very special place." Jack Draper is the new figurehead of British tennis, taking on a role filled for a generation by the now-retired Andy Murray. The fourth seed, who meets former finalist Marin Cilic in the second round, appears comfortable with his new status. "I kind of play every match like my life depends on it anyway," said the 23-year-old. Sinner, who has never reached the Wimbledon final, takes on Australia's Aleksandar Vukic, while five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek faces America's Caty McNally. Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva, aged just 18, beat Italy's Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) on Court One. American 10th seed Emma Navarro also advanced to the third round with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Russia's Veronika Kudermetova.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Murray's autographed shirt from 2013 Wimbledon final up for auction
LONDON: Andy Murray's match-worn shirt from his historic 2013 Wimbledon triumph could soon adorn the wall of a lucky fan's home, for the right price, after it was put up for auction along with other pieces of sporting memorabilia from the tournament. Murray, 38, claimed two of his three Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion at the grasscourt Grand Slam in 2013 when he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final. One of the three Adidas shirts the Scot wore in that match is up for grabs in an online sale held by Graham Budd Auctions in partnership with Golden Age of Tennis, with the auction set to conclude on July 13. Murray's shirt, signed by the player and authenticated by Wimbledon's head groundsman, is expected to fetch up to 8,000 pounds ($10,928), while his baseball cap from the same match could attract bids close to 3,500 pounds. 'There's no better time than Wimbledon weeks to celebrate tennis history,' David Convery, the head of sporting memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions, said in a statement. 'This auction features truly iconic pieces … each item a powerful link to the sport's greatest moments.' Fans can also pick up the net that was used in the 2010 epic featuring John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, the longest professional tennis match in history that lasted 11 hours and five minutes and took place over three days. The net cord is autographed by Isner and Mahut. Autographed Wimbledon tennis balls with the signatures of Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Djokovic and Murray are also on offer for between 300-500 pounds.
