Coco Gauff seals Elise Mertens win with bagel to make quarter-finals of French Open at Roland-Garros

ByEurosport

Updated 29/05/2022 at 15:06 GMT

Coco Gauff sealed a straight-sets win against Elise Mertens with a bagel to make the quarter-finals stage of the French Open – winning 6-4 6-0 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. She will face the winner of Jil Teichmann and Sloane Stephens in the last eight. Watch the French Open live on Eurosport and discovery+.

Coco Gauff celebrates, French Open, Roland-Garros, Paris, France, May 28, 2022

Image credit: Getty Images

Coco Gauff recorded a 6-4 6-0 victory over Elise Mertens to claim a place in the quarter-finals of the French Open for the second consecutive year.

After progressing through the second and third round without dropping a set, the 18th seed once again looked in fine fettle, finishing off the game with a bagel to cruise into the last eight.

The in-form American will now meet Jil Tiechmann or Sloane Stephens in the next round.

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Gauff made a bright start, but despite following up a hold by clocking up two break points, Mertens dug out a hold of her own from deuce with a well-timed ace.

Mertens let out a huge roar as she earned an early break thanks to her sizzling return game.

Both players were going hammer and tongs in a relentless battle to gain the initiative early on, and Gauff responded with a break back after another lengthy game in which she converted a third break point.

What appeared to be a ding-dong contest swung back in the favour of the Belgian when she broke her opponent, but Coco responded with another of her own to bring up 3-3.

After a succession of dominant holds, Gauff’s pressure told as she claimed the opening set in 58 minutes with a break from deuce.

The American quickly turned the screw in the second set as she followed up a solid hold with a break to love and consolidated without dropping a point on serve.

That was a sign of things to come as she took total control, securing the insurance break to make it six games on the spin before thrashing an un-returnable crosscourt backhand to claim another break, clinch the match and clock up a bagel.

“I knew today was going to be a tough match,” Gauff told Eurosport in her post-match interview.

“Last time we played it was three sets and honestly today I was just trying to enjoy [it]. There were some tough moments in the first set and I just fought through it.

“I just tell myself to fight for every point. I don’t know who said the quote that ‘pressure is a privilege’, and people expect big things from me. I’ve just got to enjoy it and try not to focus too much on results. This Slam, I’m just having the most fun that I ever did in a tournament.”

In a lovely moment between player and interviewer, Gauff told Marion Bartoli it was an “honour” to be quizzed by the former Wimbledon champion.

“When I was younger, you were practising and I got your autograph, and I remember you signed everybody’s autographs after practice, so thank you for that! It’s pretty cool to be on the court with you,” she added.

To which Bartoli responded: “I autographed [for] you?!”

“I can’t remember which tournament it was, but my mum probably has the pictures somewhere,” Gauff laughed.

“I remember you were working really hard on the court and you took 15 minutes to sign everybody’s autographs.”

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