After her 6-4 2-6 6-4 win over the 20-year-old, Putintseva offered her thoughts on the match.
“It was very tough because Coco started to play well in the second set,” Putintseva told Tennis Channel. “[She was] putting a lot of pressure on my shots. I felt like she was running everywhere and getting all the balls back.
“In the end, I got a bit lucky with my shots, plus she helped a little bit, her serve didn’t work and that’s what made the difference.” However, Gauff is in a very different state of mind this year as she heads into the final major of the season.
She is lacking form and, with just one win to her name in North America as opposed to the 11 she had arriving in New York last year, Gauff faces a race against time to recover.
