One of the highlight first round matches at the French Open saw ninth seed Johanna Konta square off with Cori Gauff with the 16-year old American coming out on top 6-3, 6-3 after one hour, 41 minutes of play.
Making her main draw debut in Paris, Gauff broke early in the first set and four times in the second set while Konta, a semifinalist in Paris in 2019, committed 41 unforced errors during the one hour, 43 minute contest.
Gauff uses strong returning to advance to second round
Gauff made the first breakthrough of the match when Konta sent a forehand wide in the second game of the match to give the teenager a 2-0 lead. Saving a break point in the next game off of a missed return by the Brit, the American extended her advantage to 3-0.
Konta would continue to have chances, two more break points on Gauff's next service game, but clutch serving erased those chances to give the world number 51 a 4-1 lead. Finally, she would have an easy service game next time around to make the score 5-2.
With Gauff serving for the set at 5-3, a 20-point, ten minute game ensued, the American wasting five set points and committing five double faults, Konta seeing two break points go begging. Finally on the seventh deuce, the Brit misfired on back-to-back returns to give Gauff a one-set lead.
Konta was off the mark quickly in the second set, breaking to love to take a 2-0 lead. A double fault at 30-30 set up break point and Gauff was back on serve after the Brit missed on a forehand. The American was on the attack and on her fifth break chance, she stung a backhand winner to go up 3-2.
She stretched her lead to 5-2 with her third consecutive break, but two double faults gave Konta two break points and she converted with a volley winner as a drizzle began to fall. Gauff hit her own volley winner to set up double match point, watched the Brit save the first with a drop volley winner, but a backhand error on the second wrapped up the victory for the American.