Fresh off breakthrough in Linz, Coco Gauff falls in Luxembourg opener

Three days after lifting her maiden WTA tour-level trophy in Linz, 15-year-old Coco Gauff succumbed to Anna Blinkova, 6-4, 6-0, in her first-round match at the Luxembourg Open.

Fresh off her breakthrough title run, which saw her become the youngest WTA titlist in 15 years, Gauff had trouble staying focused in Wednesday's match.

"I’m still overwhelmed and shocked," Gauff said after her victory on Sunday. "I guess it’s crazy to say it’s my first WTA title. This was definitely not on the calendar at the beginning of the year, because I didn’t think I’d have a chance to get in, and now I’m the champion, so it’s crazy."

In the early stages of the contest in Luxembourg, Gauff had issues with her footwork and shot selection—and with her serve. She was broken twice, and while she retrieved one break in the fourth game, the extra cushion was enough for Blinkova to take the early lead.

The 21-year-old Russian carried over the momentum into the second set, reeling off seven straight games to close out the match. Blinkova broke into the Top 70 after reaching her first tour-level semifinal in Guangzhou in September, and she has maintained that level of play into the season's home stretch.

Getty Images

During one of the second-set changeovers, an emotional Gauff summoned her father, telling him that she didn’t have the energy and was feeling really tired. It was understandable for a first time champion, who often experience letdowns following their breakthroughs. That was clearly the case today for Gauff against the laser-focused Blinkova, who turned a competitive contest into a runaway rout.

In better news for Gauff, she and her doubles partner Caty McNally moved into the second round after overcoming Japanese doubles duo Misaki Doi and Makoto Ninomiya, 6-3, 6-7 (5), [10-5]. The American teens, who have collaborated since their days on the junior circuit, claimed their first title at the Citi Open in August.

McNally plays her singles opener later on Wednesday against Jelena Ostapenko, whom Gauff defeated to win the Linz title on Sunday.