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By Tennis Week | Wednesday, October 16, 2019

 
Coco Gauff

Anna Blinkova rolled through seven straight games dismissing a depleted Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-0 to charge into the Luxembourg round of 16.

Photo credit: WTA Linz Facebook

Fifteen-year-old Coco Gauff celebrated her first WTA championship in Linz on Sunday.

Anna Blinkova played party crasher in Gauff's Luxembourg debut.

More: Barty Big Winner

The 21-year-old Russian rolled through seven straight games dismissing a depleted Gauff 6-4, 6-0 to charge into the Luxembourg second round.




Last week, Gauff conquered Kiki Bertens for her first Top 10 win, stopped former world No. 9 Andrea Petkovic in the semifinals then fought off former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in a three-set Linz final becoming the youngest woman to raise a WTA title since Nicole Vaidisova won the 2004 Tashkent crown.

That resulted rocketed the Linz champion up to a career-high No. 71 entering Luxembourg, but Gauff suffered physical and emotional let-down.

Struggling to summon energy and find the right contact point for her forehand, Gauff was tested early by Blinkova. The American teenager grew emotional during a second-set coaching visit from her father.

The Russian baseliner wisely attacked the American's forehand with varied pace and spin. Blinkova broke twice in a row for a 3-2 lead then navigated a deuce hold to back up the break.

Blinkova won eight of the last 10 points played on her serve to snatch a one-set lead on the strength of nine winners against just four unforced errors.




Moving the ball corner to corner, Blinkova drained errors charging through 16 of the last 19 points to set up a second-round meeting with Tatjana Maria.

German veteran Laura Siegemund swept fifth-seeded Viktoria Kuzmova 6-2, 6-3. Siegemund will play Elena Rybakina for a semifinal spot.

The third-seeded Rybakina repelled Denisa Allertova 6-2, 6-1 to advance to her fourth quarterfinal in her last five tournaments.

 

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