Gauff dumped out of Qatar Open by Kostyuk

DOHA — Coco Gauff suffered a surprise early exit from the Qatar Open on Tuesday with a straight-sets defeat by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, while Elena Rybakina eased into the last 16.

Former US Open champion Gauff blew a healthy advantage in the second set as Kostyuk sealed a 6-2, 7-5 victory and a third-round meeting with the winner of an all-Polish tie between Magda Linette and Magdalena Frech.

Gauff, playing for the first time since January 21’s quarter-final loss to Paula Badosa at the Australian Open, served seven double-faults in an erratic display.

The American made a terrible start, slipping 4-1 behind after dropping her serve twice. Gauff was broken again in the eighth game as Kostyuk secured the first set in just half an hour.

“The double-faults made it easier for me... I’m very happy that it ended in two sets,” Kostyuk told BeIN Sports. Rybakina, who lost to eventual winner Belinda Bencic in the Abu Dhabi semifinals last week, saw off Payton Stearns in her opening match.

The fifth seed cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win despite a late wobble to set up a third-round tie against either Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva or Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.