Coco Gauff overcomes stomach bug to beat Sorana Cirstea in Madrid
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Coco Gauff of the US reacting during her 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 round-of-32 win over Romania's Sorana Cirstea at the Madrid Open at Park Manzanares on April 26.
PHOTO: REUTERS
MADRID – Coco Gauff became the latest victim of the stomach virus that has been sweeping through the draw at the Madrid Open, but the ailing American still found a way to beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 on April 26 to reach the round of 16.
Several players have been struggling with illness in the Spanish capital, including Iga Swiatek, who was forced to retire from her match against Ann Li on April 25, and Marin Cilic, who had to withdraw ahead of his second-round meeting with Joao Fonseca on April 24.
Liudmila Samsonova also pulled out of the tournament on April 26 citing illness ahead of her third-round match with Linda Noskova.
Gauff, 22, vomited in a bin on the court during her clash with Cirstea and asked for a medical timeout during the latter stages of the match before she completed the win in two hours and 21 minutes.
“Yeah, I don’t know, honestly (how I got through that),” said Gauff, who will face Czech Noskova for a quarter-final spot.
“I was just trying to finish the match and one point turned into another. I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. So I’m just going to try to push through for tomorrow.”
A runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in the Spanish capital 12 months ago, Gauff has 3,300 points to defend on clay from Madrid through to her title defence at the French Open, which begins on May 24.
“I pulled out in Indian Wells. I’m not someone who likes to pull out, so I didn’t want to pull out again today. So I’m glad that I was able to get through it,” added the two-time Grand Slam champion.
“I did start to feel better, not feeling like I had to throw up. They gave me some pills, so that definitely helped... The first part was literally just trying to keep whatever I ate down. Once they gave me something to help with that, then I was just nauseous and tired. But I can deal with that.”
Later, Gauff’s compatriot Jessica Pegula was dumped out in the last 32 by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, with the world No. 23 beating the fifth seed 6-1, 6-4. Kostyuk’s reward is a last-16 clash against another American in Caty McNally.
In the men’s draw, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner reached the last 16 after seeing off Danish qualifier Elmer Moller 6-2, 6-3 on April 26. Next up for the Italian is either Briton Cameron Norrie or Thiago Agustin Tirante of Argentina. AFP
