Coco Gauff back to down earth with a bump after first round Luxembourg exit

WTA Tour
Coco Gauff in Luxembourg

Coco Gauff returned back to earth with a bump in Luxembourg as she sank to a pretty dismal first round straight-sets exit.

The 15-year-old became the youngest WTA Tour event winner since 2004 last week in Linz, which she won after entering as a lucky loser.

But her exertions caught up with her as she was brushed aside 6-4 6-0 in less than an hour by world number 66 Anna Blinkova.

The Russian made three unforced errors and restricted Gauff to just eight points in the second set as she swept into the second round.

Second seed Julia Goerges rallied after losing the first set to Misaki Doi and emerged a 5-7 6-1 6-3 winner.

Wild card Jelena Ostapenko survived a tough first-round clash with Gauff’s doubles partner, Catherine McNally, to squeeze out a 7-5 7-6 (3) success.

In second-round action, third seed Elena Rybakina beat Denisa Allertova 6-2 6-1 but fifth seed Viktoria Kuzmova was beaten 6-2 6-3 by Laura Siegemund of Germany.

RELATED: Top 10 youngest WTA Tour title winners: Where does Coco Gauff rank?

At the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, third seed Belinda Bencic required all her fighting spirit to reach the quarter-finals with a win over Polona Hercog.

Bencic overcame a nightmare opening set then also trailed 3-0 in the decider before emerging with a 1-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

Bencic will next face Kirsten Flipkens, who beat fifth seed Dayana Yastremska 6-3 3-6 6-3.

Fourth seed Donna Vekic fell 6-4 6-2 to Karolina Muchova but eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova eased through with a 6-1 6-1 win over Russian comaptriot Anna Kalinskaya.

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