GAUFF IS QUEEN OF PARIS CLAY

COCO Gauff won her first French Open title after a rollercoaster final against Aryna Sabalenka to be crowned the new queen of clay.

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A mesmerising, marathon match between the world’s two best players went the way of the second seed, 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-4.

The breezy Paris conditions contributed to a combined total of 100 unforced errors and 15 breaks of serve.

But that did not take away from some glorious shot-making, breath-taking power hitting and drama of the highest order.

It was the first time the top two women’s seeds had contested a Roland Garros final since Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in 2013.

Sabalenka overpowered the American in the early stages, breaking her serve to love amidst a run of nine unanswered points, while Gauff looked spooked, spraying misses to all parts of the court.

But suddenly an inspired drop shot, a Sabalenka double-fault and a flashing forehand winner brought up a break point which Gauff converted.