Melbourne, Jan 19 (IANS) No.3 seed Coco Gauff had to come from behind to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals on Sunday, with a gritty 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win over new mom Belinda Bencic at Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff lost her first set of the season in her Round-of-16 match against Switzerland’s 2021 Olympic gold medallist Bencic. However, the American made a strong recovery, completing a 2-hour and 26-minute comeback to extend her 2025 win-loss record to 9-0.
She also became the first woman to post back-to-back 9-0 starts to a season since Victoria Azarenka in 2012-2013. The 20-year-old Gauff is also the youngest woman to pull off that feat since Monica Seles in 1992-1993, according to WTA.
2023 US Open champion Gauff extends her legacy of success at the major events, moving into her eighth career Grand Slam quarterfinal. So far this century, only Maria Sharapova (12), Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters (nine each) have made more women’s singles Grand Slam quarterfinals than Gauff before the age of 21.
Gauff lost just three points on serve up to 4-3, but Bencic started stepping inside the baseline on second serve returns, breaking the American twice in a row to take the first set.
Two consecutive double faults by Gauff gave Bencic a 6-5 advantage, and the former World No. 4 secured the set after an hour of play.
Gauff reclaimed the top-notch form as she grabbed hold of the contest in the second set, where she didn’t face a break point and had 17 winners to Bencic’s two. The American’s dominance in the second and third sets helped her secure a 2-1 lead over Bencic in their head-to-head encounters.
Gauff is now a win away from making her second straight Australian Open semifinal, having lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final four last year.
No.11 seed Paula Badosa of Spain will be Gauff’s quarterfinal opponent. The Spaniard topped Olga Danilovic of Serbia 6-1, 7-6 (2) in their fourth-round match on Sunday.
Their head-to-head is deadlocked at three wins apiece, although Gauff won their two meetings last year.
–IANS
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