During her participation in the Italian Open in Rome, American tennis player Coco Gauff experienced a peculiar incident.
The 21-year-old Gauff was competing against Chinese player Qinwen Zheng in the semifinal match.
World No. 8 seed Zheng was visibly taken aback and confused by Gauff`s action on court.
The unusual event took place during the intense third and final set of their match on Thursday night.
As Gauff prepared to serve, her opponent, Zheng, had walked back towards her chair to select a different racket.
While Zheng was preoccupied with checking her new equipment near the side of the court, Gauff proceeded to hit her serve.
Zheng immediately turned back towards Gauff, looking astonished by what had just happened.
The spectators in Rome reacted strongly, bursting into laughter at the unexpected moment.
“Did she not see her?” the commentator questioned aloud, referring to Gauff`s apparent oversight.
Gauff was then seen sharing a laugh with the umpire.
It seemed Gauff was genuinely unaware that Zheng was not positioned at the baseline and ready to receive the serve.
Ultimately, Gauff secured victory in the lengthy semifinal encounter via a third-set tiebreak.
She is set to compete against Italian player Jasmine Paolini in the final on Saturday at the Foro Italico Sports Complex.
Earlier in the tournament, Gauff proactively invited the crowd to boo her during an on-court interview.
Following her quarterfinal win against Mirra Andreeva, Gauff suggested her opinion on pasta might be considered “controversial” among the local Roman fans.
When asked about her preference for Cacio e pepe over Carbonara pasta, the 2023 US Open champion gave her candid response.
“I just think Cacio e pepe is better,” the 21-year-old stated with an awkward laugh.
“I don`t know if that is controversial here – I just like that better,” she continued. “But carbonara is still good, I just think Cacio e pepe is great. If I had to choose between one I would choose Cacio e pepe.”
Then, addressing the crowd directly, Gauff added, “I don`t know if you guys agree. If you don`t, you can boo me – it`s OK.”
