Gauff's suffers defeat to Vekic at Olympics

Coco Gauff's (20) Olympic singles gold hopes were dashed in the third round as she clashed with officials and suffered a 7-6(7), 6-2 loss to Croatia's Donna Vekic (28) in scorching conditions at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

Vekic rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set, saving two set points in a crucial tiebreak, and went on to become the first Croatian to reach the Olympic women's singles quarterfinals since 1996.

Gauff, the US Open champion, was visibly upset after a disputed line call and her subsequent protests with the umpire and supervisor did not change the outcome of the match.

Despite the crowd's support, Vekic, seeded 13th, maintained her composure and secured the victory as Gauff's game fell apart. Gauff will now shift her focus to mixed doubles and women's doubles.

While Gauff did not blame the dispute for her loss, she expressed her belief that the point should have been replayed due to the line judge's call affecting her stroke. She also advocated for the use of video review in tennis to address such situations.

Vekic experienced a devastating defeat against Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon semi-finals, but she has made a remarkable comeback in Paris.

She mentioned that the ambiance on the court was among the finest she had ever experienced.

"It was extremely challenging. During our practice this morning, the roof was shut, so it took me a few games to adapt (to the heat). The ball was moving quite fast," she explained.

"The encouragement from the fans has been incredible, and I am thoroughly enjoying my time in the village. Hopefully, I can secure victory in one or two more matches. Then, we can discuss the possibility of winning medals."