Vekic upset Gauff 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals, but the match was marred by a protracted altercation between the chair umpire and the American player.
As Rafael Nadal got ready to return to the baking courts on Tuesday, a furious altercation with the umpire led to a tearful Coco Gauff’s elimination from the Paris Olympics at the hands of Donna Vekic.
Roland Garros officials implemented a heat protocol, allowing a 10-minute break between the second and third sets, due to the extreme heat that was reaching temperatures in the mid-30s.
Vekic upset Gauff 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals in the opening match on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but the match was marred by a protracted argument between the US Open champion and the chair umpire.
Before her Croatian opponent won the first-set tie-break, Gauff, who accompanied NBA player LeBron James as the flag-bearer for the United States at the Olympic opening ceremony, got off to a quick start but wasted three set points.
Early in the second set, the two traded breaks, but at the end of the sixth game, an emotional Gauff begged the umpire to call her game.
Vekic hit a deep return to Gauff’s forehand at 30-40, and the American mishit it into the net.
Vekic’s shot was signaled, but the chair umpire overturned the call, awarding the Croat the point and the break. Gauff claimed the first call jeopardized her opportunity.
“I have to constantly speak up for myself,” a sobbing Gauff, 20, said in court. “This game is cheating on me. You people don’t treat me fairly.”
A more composed Gauff later demanded that Roland Garros adopt a video review system equivalent to those used by other Grand Slam locations.
“I can’t say I would have won the match if I would have won that point but, for sure, being not a break, whereas maybe replaying that point can make a big difference in that game,” she explained.
The 21-year-old Vekic momentarily lost her cool, going from 0-40 on her own serve to holding before breaking once more to complete the victory.
“Tricky situation” is how the Wimbledon semifinalist described the argument over the line call.
“After that, the crowd, it was not so easy,” she stated. “I lost my concentration for a couple of points, but I’m happy that I managed to come back in that game because it was an important game.”
Alexander Zverev, the reigning men’s champion from Germany, easily defeated Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, ranked 39th, 6-3, 7-5, to advance to the third round.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber of Germany advanced to the quarterfinals in the women’s draw, along with eighth-seeded Danielle Collins of the United States and Zheng Qinwen of China.
The top-ranked woman in the world, Iga Swiatek, will try to defeat China’s Wang Xiyu in the evening session to win 24 straight games on Paris’ clay courts.
In their 60th meeting, Rafael Nadal, the 14-time winner of the French Open, lost in straight sets to longtime rival Novak Djokovic on Monday.
The 38-year-old, who was immortalized in a statue at Roland Garros, is currently ranked 161st in the world after suffering numerous injuries in recent years.
Following his heartbreaking loss to Djokovic, Rafael Nadal declared he would decide his future after the Olympics.
The 2008 Beijing Games gold medallist in singles and the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist in doubles, however, is still able to win a medal in the doubles with current French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
They play Wesley Koolhof and Tallon Griekspoor, a Dutch duo.
Later, Andy Murray, the three-time Grand Slam champion from Britain, will compete in his final tournament with doubles partner Dan Evans.
