Gauff triumphs in French Open battle of the ages

Saturday, 28 May 2022 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

PARIS, AFP: Coco Gauff, the youngest player left in the French Open, made the last 16 yesterday with a straight-sets win over Kaia Kanepi, the oldest woman in the tournament at 36.

Gauff, the 18-year-old 18th seed, triumphed 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for a second successive year having enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in 2021.

Kanepi, ranked 46, was the junior champion at Roland Garros in 2001, three years before Gauff was born.

Gauff defeated the Estonian on her way to the Parma clay court title in 2021 and goes on to face Belgium’s Elise Mertens for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Mertens reached the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Varvara Gracheva of Russia.