rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
Coco Gauff is through to the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open. In a rematch of the semifinal that sent her home in 2024, the American defeated Maria Sakkari 7-6(1) 6-2.
It was not a comfortable victory for Gauff, who served nine double faults. While not a great stat on its own, this was a big improvement from the 21 she served in her second-round match against Moyuka Uchijima. The third seed had a 64% first serve percentage and won 5/8 break points. Her 29th-seeded opponent only got in 57% of her first serves and won just 3/7 break points.
The match started with four consecutive breaks, as the players settled into the tricky conditions. The final game, on the 20-year-old’s serve, had the audience on edge of their seats for a 21-point rollercoaster scoreline. Gauff lost two match points before saving a break point. She went on to give up an additional three match points and faced another three break points, finally winning the match on her sixth opportunity.
Facing the press after her hard-fought win, Gauff was not thrilled with her performance and cited recent changes to her serve as one of the major barriers she’s facing, put simply, “It’s tough, trying to learn a new motion.”
The conditions have been a topic of conversation here, with players split on how the new surface has impacted play. After her first Stadium 1 match of the tournament, played in the hot midday sun with a slight but swirly wind, the world number three still was not sure what to make of the courts: “Here it gets a lot of bounce on the balls so that does help. It’s just hard to hit a winner and hit through your serves. Sometimes you hit a good shot and you think it’s a great shot and your opponent is there. I think it’s just kind of testing the patience out here.”
On Wednesday, Gauff will face Belinda Bencic for a spot in the quarterfinals.
