"I didn't play my best tennis in this tournament," regrets Gauff after her elimination in Montreal
World No. 2 Coco Gauff exited the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal in the round of 16. The top seed in Quebec couldn't withstand the hurricane that was 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, who qualified for her first quarterfinal in this category of tournaments (6-1, 6-4).
Speaking at a press conference after her defeat, the American reflected on the day's match and emphasized the performance of her young opponent.
"She played an amazing match, that's all. She played really well, I made a few unforced errors, but I knew it would be a tough match today. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. I knew she’d come in full confidence after easily winning her first two rounds.
Honestly, I didn’t play my best tennis in this tournament, so I knew it would be difficult. I don’t know, I just felt like I could’ve done better today, but I also knew that if I let up even a little, she’d take advantage—and that’s exactly what she did.
I’ve been playing well in practice these past weeks, just training. I decided to take a break and skip Washington to focus on this tournament, and maybe that wasn’t the right decision.
Maybe I should’ve played more matches. But I also tell myself this is only the first tournament of the North American swing, and I hope to find my rhythm in Cincinnati and New York (for the US Open).
I don’t know if Victoria (Mboko) and I have much in common. I’d say she’s a completely different player and a completely different person. I’ve never compared myself to others.
But I see someone who undoubtedly has a bright future ahead. She’s very athletic. She hits the ball really well and stays quite positive on the court," Gauff told *Punto de Break*.
