Kanepi's campaign had gotten off to a strong start with a surprise victory over world number 10 Garbine Muguruza (Spain) in round one, followed by victory over Brazilian player Beatriz Haddad Maia in round two, prompting the 18-year-old Gauff, ranked 23rd in the world, to tell a pre-match interviewer that she was expecting the game to be a tough one.

While set one at the Roland Garros got off to a good start for the Estonian, 36, from Haapsalu, in breaking Gauff's service in the opening game, she then lost the next five-in-a-row, only breaking again in game seven and holding her own serve to take the score-line 5:3 to Gauff. The latter held her next service to take the set.

The second set started off fairly evenly, with the score 3:2 in Kanepi's favor at one point, but after Gauff broke Kanepi's service again in game seven, it was just a question of holding on to her own serve until things went to 6:4 to take set and match.

The American served up six aces and committed five double faults through the encounter; Kanepi posted two of each. Gauff was able to realize five out of 10 break points, Kanepi three out of nine.

Top Estonian player Anett Kontaveit, recovering from a bout with Covid, went out in round one of the competition.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!