Gauff fumbles late lead, ousted by Sevastova at Miami Open

American teenage sensation Coco Gauff became an early casualty at the 2021 Miami Open, as the rising superstar blew a 3-1 lead in the final set to be eliminated in her first match by Anastasija Sevastova.

Having lost when they previously clashed in the first round of last year's US Open, Gauff was out for revenge from the onset. The teenager broke Sevastova to race to a 3-0 lead, before breaking her Latvian opponent a second time to secure the first set 6-1 without much trouble.

Gauff obtained an early break in the second set to lead 2-1, but Sevastova was able to pull off a string of incredible games. The World No.57 capitalized on her opponent's inconsistency, applying her veteran expertise to frustrate the American teenager. It came as no surprise that Sevastova would claim the second set 6-2, setting up a decider.

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Relying on her grit and powerful groundstrokes, Gauff earned what should have been a crucial break to establish a 3-1 lead. However, as any sports fan knows, those are quick to evaporate as Sevastova battled back to win the next five games and escape with a 1-6 6-2 6-3 victory. The Latvian remained calm and consistent, whereas Gauff's game was plagued with errant shots and impatient groundstrokes.

Sevastova will next face a sterner and more experienced challenger in Simona Halep, as the World No.3 outlasted Caroline Garcia to advance earlier in the day.

Click here for live scores and match results from the Miami Open.

wta on Twitter: "Into the 3️⃣rd round for the 3️⃣rd time! 🌴 Anastasija Sevastova outlasts Gauff in three sets. #MiamiOpen https://t.co/bNOOFIDvqf" / Twitter