Mauresmo tosses Coin out in third round
NEW YORK (Reuters) - They grew up in the same region in France and honed their skills in the same club but Amelie Mauresmo had never seen Julie Coin play until two days ago.
When she did catch sight of Coin, Mauresmo saw her fellow Frenchwoman cause the biggest shock at this year's U.S. Open by knocking out top seed Ana Ivanovic in the second round.
However, Coin could not keep up her heroics for a second match running and bowed out on Saturday following a 6-4 6-4 defeat by the former world number one.
"Strange thing was I don't know her and I'd never seen her play," the 29-year-old Mauresmo told reporters after reaching the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time in over a year.
"She's younger and we grew up in the same area and everything but our roads never crossed really except when maybe she was 12 or 14 or whatever.
"So it was strange to have some similarities but not knowing each other. I didn't really know what to expect I just saw a couple of games on TV against Ivanovic and that was it."
Thursday was the first time when most of the tennis world had first set their eyes on Coin as before this week, she had never played a tour-level match.
Ranked 188th, Coin became the lowest ranked woman ever to beat a world number one and was disappointed not to replicate the feat against Mauresmo.
"I wish I had won today because when you have a big win, you want to win more and more," said the 25-year-old who usually toils on the lower ITF Challenger circuit.
"I was totally confident going into the match but I guess I was tired and my serve wasn't on today."
She did, however, pay tribute to Mauresmo for sparking a revival in French women's tennis.
At this year's final grand slam, the 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion has been joined by Marion Bartoli in the fourth round. They could double that count if Alize Cornet defeats Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Severine Bremond navigates past Tathiana Garbin.
"It started with Mauresmo, she was a former number one and everyone is trying to be like her so everyone is trying to motivate each other," said Coin.
(Editing by Steve Ginsburg)
