Coco Gauff overcame Elisabetta Cocciaretto at the Miami Open, avoiding a second consecutive loss to the Italian player. The No. 4 seed rallied from a set down to secure the victory at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Gauff Reflects on the Match
“The last time we played, I didn’t win, so I just wanted to overcome that feeling,” Gauff said after the match. She added, “It’s been a tough week but I don’t know, it made me realize how much I love this sport and I love playing it. Even though it’s tough, I think I enjoy the ups and downs through the journey.”
Gauff had previously lost to Cocciaretto in two sets at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month. This time, she weathered a slow start at her home tournament to advance after two hours and 15 minutes.
Gauff explained, “She takes the ball so early, so you don’t have a lot of time to react. Today, I think once I got adjusted to the tempo of play, I was able to control the rallies when they went the distance.”
Injury Concerns Heading Into Miami
Gauff arrived in Miami after retiring mid-match at the BNP Paribas Open due to injury. She was optimistic about her health heading into the Miami tournament, saying, “I may feel it sometimes on court, but I definitely feel it less and less every day, if that makes sense.”
Overcoming Inconsistencies and Double Faults
Gauff faced pressure from Cocciaretto, who is ranked No. 44 and reached the quarterfinals in Doha after defeating Gauff. Cocciaretto was able to start strong, while Gauff struggled with her range off the ground.
Gauff, the reigning Roland Garros champion, has experienced inconsistencies with her serve and forehand this season. Despite 11 double faults in the match, she managed to regain her composure, maintain a consistent first serve percentage, and win 63% of those points.
After going down a break at the start of the final set, Gauff won four consecutive games. She then secured a final break to win the match in just over two hours.
Gauff to Face Parks in Next Round
Gauff’s next opponent will be fellow American Alycia Parks. Parks upset former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari earlier on Friday.