India, May 28 -- As defending French Open champion Coco Gauff took on Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Thursday, a bizarre fact about her surfaced. The American star had taken the first set 6-0 at the time of writing this story.

Gauff opened her Roland Garros campaign this year with a commanding straight-sets victory over fellow American Taylor Townsend, but much of the attention afterward centered on an unusual courtside routine involving her racquets. The world No 4 was repeatedly seen placing her racquets inside a refrigerator during the match, leaving many fans puzzled about the reason behind the tactic.

Former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki explained the science behind the strategy after the moment wen...