Defending champ Coco Gauff falls to Emma Navarro, exits US Open

NEW YORK -- This |A| is pretty much all |B| anyone needs to know |C| about defending champion Coco |D| Gauff's 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 |E| loss to Emma Navarro |F| in the US Open's |G| fourth round Sunday: Gauff |H| wound up with more |J| double-faults, 19, than winners, |K| 14.

It was the latest |L| in a series of |M| early-for-her exits in recent |O| weeks, including bowing out |P| in the third round |Q| at the Paris Olympics, |R| then going 1-2 at |S| hard-court tuneup events before |U| arriving in New York.

"I |V| feel like there's 70 |Y| other players in the |Z| draw that would love |A| to have the summer |B| that I had, even |C| though it's [the] least, |D| probably, [I've] done well |E| during this time of |F| the year," said the |G| No. 3-seeded Gauff, who |H| went 18-1 during the |J| North American swing on |K| hard courts 12 months |L| ago, including the run |M| to her first Grand |O| Slam title. "So many |P| people want to be |Q| in the fourth round. |R| So many people want |S| to make the Olympics. |U| So many people want |V| to be flag bearer. |Y| It's perspective."

The 20-year-old from |Z| Florida did fight her |A| way back into the |B| match with a four-game |C| run in which she |D| claimed 14 of 17 |E| points and grabbed the |F| second set.

"Had a little |G| bit of a lull |H| there," said the 13th-seeded |J| Navarro, an American who |K| was 0-2 at the |L| US Open until this |M| year, "but I was |O| able to regroup."

After each |P| of her previous two |Q| contests in New York, |R| Gauff headed back onto |S| the practice courts to |U| work on her serve. |V| That didn't help much |Y| Sunday, when she tied |Z| her career high for |A| double-faults; she also had |B| 19 in a loss |C| at the 2020 French |D| Open. Against Navarro, Gauff |E| delivered a trio of |F| double-faults in four different |G| games. Eleven of the |H| double-faults came in the |J| final set alone.

Gauff attributed |K| her problems to a |L| mix of issues with |M| her mechanics -- "I |O| go down on my |P| left side a lot |Q| on my serve, and |R| it's something I'm aware |S| of, but it's tough |U| in the moment to, |V| I guess, try not |Y| to do it," she |Z| explained -- and in |A| her mind.

"It's sometimes more |B| of an emotional, mental |C| thing, because if I |D| go out on the |E| practice court right now, |F| I would make, like, |G| 30 serves in a |H| row. I've done it |J| before," Gauff said. "I |K| think it's also just |L| kind of a mental |M| hurdle that I have |O| to get over when |P| it comes. ... But |Q| I definitely want to |R| look at other things, |S| because I don't want |U| to lose matches like |V| this anymore."

She finished with |Y| a total of 60 |Z| unforced errors -- a |A| whopping 29 on her |B| forehand side.

The 23-year-old Navarro, |C| who also eliminated Gauff |D| in the fourth round |E| at Wimbledon in July, |F| was far steadier Sunday, |G| although she did have |H| 35 unforced errors.

"It was |J| a little bit of |K| a battle of will |L| there for a bit. |M| But proud of just |O| my effort today," said |P| Navarro, a U.S. teammate |Q| of Gauff's at the |R| Paris Games. "I was |S| able to stick in |U| there through some tough |V| moments."

This result follows a |Y| third-round loss by defending |Z| men's champion Novak Djokovic |A| on Friday, meaning the |B| lengthy droughts without anyone |C| winning consecutive titles in |D| New York will continue. |E| The last woman to |F| win at least two |G| in a row was |H| Serena Williams with three |J| from 2012 to '14; |K| the last man to |L| do so was Roger |M| Federer with five from |O| 2004 to '08.

The Wimbledon |P| win over Gauff earned |Q| Navarro, the 2021 NCAA |R| singles champion for the |S| University of Virginia, her |U| first appearance in a |V| major quarterfinal. Her second |Y| will come Tuesday in |Z| New York against No. |A| 26 Paula Badosa, a |B| 6-1, 6-2 winner against |C| Wang Yafan. The other |D| women's match that day |E| will be between No. |F| 2 Aryna Sabalenka -- |G| she was last year's |H| runner-up to Gauff and |J| beat Elise Mertens 6-2, |K| 6-4 on Sunday -- |L| and No. 7 Qinwen |M| Zheng, who beat No. |O| 24 Donna Vekic 7-6 |P| (2), 4-6, 6-2 in |Q| a match that ended |R| at 2:15 a.m. Monday, |S| the latest finish to |U| a women's match in |V| US Open history.

The quarterfinals |Y| will give Navarro another |Z| chance to play at |A| Arthur Ashe Stadium in |B| front of a big |C| crowd. She had never |D| hit a ball in |E| the place until Sunday |F| -- and felt rather |G| at ease, anyway.

"I've been |H| out on big courts |J| before, where I just |K| felt totally overwhelmed and |L| almost like it's an |M| out-of-body experience. But I |O| didn't feel like that |P| today," Navarro said. "I |Q| felt comfortable from the |R| time I stepped out |S| onto the court, which |U| I was a little |V| bit surprised about. I |Y| kind of had prepared |Z| myself for the worst, |A| just in terms of |B| feeling overwhelmed and nervous."

She |C| didn't perform that way.

Gauff |D| was the one who |E| was unable to bring |F| her best.

"I expect better, |G| but at the end |H| of the day it |J| happened," Gauff said, "and |K| I know I can |L| turn it around."

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