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Coco Gauff was defeated by Paula Badosa in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Monday, suffering a straight-sets loss that left fans stunned.
With several self-inflicted errors, Gauff fell 7-5, 6-4 to the No. 11 seed Badosa as social media reacted:
Max Holtzclaw @Max_Atttack
Coco Gauff may be one of the bigger letdowns in tennis. If she didn’t have the worst mental game out there, she’d probably have more than one major. Like I know she’s only 20, it’s just disappointing to see her shut down on herself when she has a couple of bad games in a set
Cedric Golden @CedGolden
Coco Gauff out at Australia. You wonder if she will end up being great. She’s about to turn 21 and has one major to her credit. She is great defensive player but with those serving and forehand deficiencies, it’s going to be a steep climb. You can’t be below average at both.
Entering the match with a 9-0 record this season and a Grand Slam title to her name, Gauff arrived at Rod Laver Arena riding a 13-match win streak before the upset.
Despite Gauff’s accolades, Badosa remained composed and prepared to face the 20-year-old phenomenon.
“She’s full of confidence. But I’m playing well, too,” Badosa said, per AP News’ Howard Fendrich. “I’m ready to face her.”
With the victory, Badosa advances to her first Grand Slam semifinal at 27 years old, showcasing the best tennis of her career.
“I’m a bit emotional,” Badosa said. “I wanted to play my best tennis. I think I did. … I’m super proud of the level I gave today.”
Gauff, finishing with a staggering 41 unforced errors, including six double faults and 28 missed forehands, failed to earn a single break point until she was already trailing by a set and a break in the second.
With the victory, Badosa will face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals on Tuesday night.
