The world No. 3 improved her play after a tough opening match that saw her record 21 double faults.
By Scott Bregman
(Source: Olympics new)
American tennis star Coco Gauff is safely through to the round of 16 at the 2025 Indian Wells Open after dismissing Greece’s Maria Sakkari in straight sets, recording a 7-6(1), 6-2 win on Monday (10 March).
The win will be a boost for the former US Open champion after she struggled in her opening match of the tournament, recording a whopping 21 double faults against Japan’s Uchijima Moyuka. On Monday, Gauff had only nine double faults.
Gauff, serving first, exchanged breaks with Sakkari in the opening games, falling behind 2-1 before breaking back to level at 2-all. From there, both players managed to hold serve, with Gauff pulling ahead 5-4, forcing Sakkari to serve to stay in the set.
The Greek player found herself in trouble, letting a 40-15 lead slip and facing a set point, but she held her nerve to escape and level at 5-5. Gauff responded with another strong service game, putting the pressure back on Sakkari, who needed to hold once more to force a tiebreak.
Sakkari, the world No. 29, held at love for 6-all.
In the tiebreak, Gauff pulled ahead early at 2-1, taking a mini-break on Sakkari’s second service point. From there, the American won the two points on her serve for a 4-1 lead.
Gauff rolled from there, taking the tiebreak 7-1 and the opening set.
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Gauff carried her momentum into the second set, striking first with an early break of Sakkari’s serve to take control. She followed it up with a dominant hold, dropping just one point to extend her lead to 2-0.
Sakkari then steadied herself with a hold and later capitalised on a dip in Gauff’s level, breaking back to equalise the set at 2-2. But Gauff responded immediately, surging to a 40-0 lead on Sakkari’s serve and breaking again to reclaim the advantage at 3-2.
With confidence growing, Gauff consolidated the break for 4-2 and kept the pressure on. At 30-40 in Sakkari’s next service game, Gauff seized another break, putting herself in position to serve for the match at 5-2.
Gauff was quickly up 40-15 as she served for the match, but Sakkari would not go away, battling to deuce. The determined Greek fought off three match points before failing to convert two break points of her own. On her fourth match point, Gauff finally took the second set and, with it, the match.
The No. 3 seed will face Belinda Bencic in round of 16 play.
