This weekend at the French Open did not go well for most Americans. Defending champion Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova both suffered unexpected third-round exits, leaving commentators to take a closer look at why this happened. Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki weighed in on Gauff and Anisimova’s losses alongside ex-ATP pros John Isner and Sam Querrey.
Caroline Wozniacki Calls Gauff and Anisimova Upsets a ‘Bad Day’ for Americans
Gauff fell to Anastasia Potapova in a 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 battle. Despite taking the first set, the world No. 4 struggled to maintain control against the 28th seed.
Following the loss, Gauff was candid about her frustrating sense of déjà vu. “She was able to finish the points and I wasn’t,“ Gauff told reporters, pointing out her missed opportunities. “Just not capitalizing on certain shots. I lost the same way in Rome as I did here. You never want to lose the same way back-to-back times.”
On the “Nothing Major Show”, special guest Wozniacki also reacted to the performance.
“Alright, the Coco Gauff match. She won that first set 6-4. She’s cruising, even though she’s not playing her best tennis,” the Dane said. “They had some long rallies, but it was just not Coco’s day today. She never looked comfortable out there. She was fighting and doing everything possible, but she just never looked like she was in the groove. So, not a good day for the Americans,” she added, keeping in mind that Gauff’s fellow Americans Anisimova, Iva Jovic, Learner Tien, and Brandon Nakashima also were knocked out.
Anisimova was ousted by hometown favorite Diane Parry, losing 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(3-10). It came as a surprise to Wozniacki. “To me, that was a big shock because I thought Diane Parry was a perfect matchup for her,” Wozniacki stated, noting that Anisimova usually punishes Parry’s “slice-and-dice” backhand.
The loud Parisian crowd seemed to throw Anisimova off her game. “I just think the crowd got to her today; she got a little agitated out there,” she observed.
Querrey pointed out, “Her body language was bad from the start of the third-set tiebreaker.” Wozniacki completely agreed: “It was. She made some bad mistakes in the tiebreaker, threw in a double fault, hit some loose forehands, and the match just got away from her.“
Meanwhile, as a silver lining, Frances Tiafoe had a five-set thriller win. Staring down a two-set deficit against a provoking Jaime Faria, Tiafoe managed a stunning 4-6, 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-2 comeback to advance to the fourth round.
