"This experience is invaluable to her, she may not be happy right now but she has this under her belt" - Chris Evert on Coco Gauff's defeat to Iga Swiatek in French Open finalΒ
Iga Swiatek registered her 35th straight win by defeating Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in the French Open final on Saturday.
Gauff, who was playing in her maiden Grand Slam final, was overpowered by her opponent in the opening set. She put up some resistance in the second but failed to hold her nerve on the big occasion.
American legend Chris Evert, speaking on Eurosport, said the 18-year-old would benefit from the experience of having played a tough match against a top player.
"This experience is invaluable to her. She may not be happy right now but I am telling you she has this under her belt," Evert said.
The 18-time Grand Slam winner opined that the teenager will now know what to expect the next time she reaches a final.
"So, the next time she reaches a final, she will know exactly what to expect. It will not be new for her and she can figure out what she can do differently," Evert said.
@ChrissieEvert reflects on world No. 1 Iga Swiatek second Grand Slam triumph 
"She was a π¦πππ‘π’π§π out there!" π€
π¬ @ChrissieEvert reflects on world No. 1 Iga Swiatek second Grand Slam triumph π
#RolandGarros | @iga_swiatek https://t.co/U4y4gpYbh3
"She was a machine out there" - Chris Evert on Iga Swiatek's win against Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff came into the final without dropping a set but was no match for the Pole, whom Chris Evert described as a "machine."
"She was a machine out there," Evert said, of Swiatek's French Open final performance.
Swiatek broke the American twice in the first set to seize the initiative early as she raced to a 4-0 lead.
Simply amazing @iga_swiatek! π€π»πΏ Congrats! @rolandgarros π
The crowd cheered for Gauff as she held serve for the time in the match in the fifth game, but the 21-year-old Pole clinched the first set in just over half an hour.
The 18-year-old made a good start in the second set after being outplayed in the first. Much to the delight of her fans, Gauff took a 2-0 lead in the second set but squandered the advantage with a forehand that went wide after a double fault.
Not so fast, says Gauff.
The 18-year-old gets her first break of the match, and leads 2-0 in the second set.
#RolandGarros | @CocoGauff https://t.co/1tabDkkpBa
She then faded away as Swiatek took control. Chris Evert stressed that Swiatek had a set game plan ahead of the final and she did now allow Gauff to run her around the court.
"She had a gameplan going out there. She talked to her coach I am sure. Talking about being proactive and aggressive from the first shot. Not letting Coco run you around the court because that is where she is at her best," Evert said.
With her 35th win on the bounce, Swiatek equalled Venus Williams' record, set in 2000, for the longest unbeaten streak in women's tennis in the 21st century.