Coco Gauff showed impressive determination as she defeated Maria Sakkari at Indian Wells, converting her motivation into a convincing straight-sets victory.
Gauff ended her three-match losing streak in Indian Wells this year, a feat Sakkari also achieved in her opening-round match after previous losses in Doha, Dubai, and Merida.
This tournament was significant for Sakkari, who reached the final last year. An early exit would likely push her out of the Top 50. To reach the final in 2024, she needed to overcome Gauff, with the two facing off in the third round this year.
The match commenced with both players displaying nerves, leading to four consecutive breaks at the start of the opening set.
With Gauff and Sakkari each breaking twice, the score leveled at 2-2. Following that, they began to hold serve without any issues.
As the set approached its conclusion, Gauff held a 5-4 lead, putting Sakkari under pressure with a set point, but the set was ultimately decided in a tie-break. Gauff dominated the tie-break, winning 7-1 to secure the first set.
The home crowd favorite elevated her game in the second set, breaking Sakkari’s serve three times. Despite being broken once herself, Gauff established a strong 5-2 lead with two breaks.
The final game turned into a marathon, with Gauff facing six match points and Sakkari four break points. After eight deuces, the Greek player couldn’t create further drama.
Gauff won the match 7-6(1), 6-2, advancing to the fourth round of this year’s Indian Wells Open. In her on-court interview after the match, the 20-year-old expressed that thoughts of revenge for last year’s loss motivated her performance.
“Today was kind of tough, the conditions. I lost to Maria here last year in the semi-finals, so it felt good to get a little revenge today, even though I love her.”
Gauff reflected positively on her performance, despite the challenging final game.
“Except for the last game, I thought I played a great match. Trying to look at the positives. Obviously, I am a bit disappointed with the last game, but that’s just the perfectionist in me.”
Gauff is set to face the winner of the match between Belinda Bencic and Diana Shnaider in the next round.
