Coco Gauff narrowly survived Moyuka Uchijima to achieve the third spherical of the BNP Paribas Open 6-4 3-6 7-6(4). In her phrases, she was “just happy to get through it” in the long run. The American, who has had a modest begin to the season with first-round defeats in Qatar and Dubai, was not thrilled along with her efficiency.
The third seed racked up 21 double faults in the course of the match however remained optimistic in her post-match feedback: “Off the ground I felt pretty good, honestly. I think if I just double-faulted less it could have probably been a straight-set match. I felt off the ground like I was dictating more of the rallies.”
Coming into the press convention at Indian Wells, the 20-year-old believed she could be dealing with the winner of Belinda Bencic vs. Amanda Anisimova. Nonetheless, she was caught off guard when Girls’s Tennis Weblog knowledgeable her that her subsequent opponent could be Maria Sakkari. The Greek participant had defeated her 6-4 6(5)-7 6-2 of their most up-to-date encounter—the 2024 BNP Paribas Open semifinal.
Reflecting on final yr’s encounter, the 2023 US Open champion primarily remembered the disruptive climate: “That was such a long kind of day. It was rainy and we stopped and started so many times.” Regardless of the difficult circumstances, her opponent’s expertise shone via: “She was playing pretty aggressive. Every time I play her, it’s a tough match. She’s a very athletic player. Big on both sides. Same with the serve.”
Previewing what she must do to stroll away with the win this time, Gauff stated: “My keys will be to focus on my end of the court and accept that she’s going to hit some great shots. She’s a great player. I think just trying to focus on my end and be ready and know that it’s going to be a physical match.”
Maria Sakkari reached the third spherical with a 6-0 6-3 victory over Viktoriya Tomova. Like Gauff, her begin to the season has been a gradual one with two first spherical losses, however Indian Wells is a magical place for her: “There’s something special when I come here that just feels so good. I just feel that I don’t want to lose. So that’s extra motivation.”
Including to the particular expertise, the twenty ninth seed was joined by her boyfriend and sister, who flew in to spend time along with her. Recognized for her love of In-N-Out burgers, she jokingly lamented the watchful eye of her health coach. Laughing, she instructed Girls’s Tennis Weblog, “He is so strict, so we’ve been eating very healthy at home. Maybe once the tournament is over.”
Requested about reminiscences of final yr’s semifinal victory, the previous world quantity three shook her head and stated, “I remember I was a set and five-one up and I lost the second set. That’s what I remember.” Regardless of that, the lasting impression of that match was a lift of confidence: “I was very proud of how I came back and won the third set because I think I played a great game and the tactic super clear on what I had to do.”
The rematch conflict can be performed Monday.
