Coco Gauff rallied from a set down to defeat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday, securing her place in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and extending her winning streak since the start of the season to nine matches.
Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, ranked a lowly 294th after returning to the tour following the birth of her daughter, showcased her talent by taking the first set amid bright sunshine at Rod Laver Arena. Bencic, who had won seven of her eight meetings with major champions, demonstrated why she remains a formidable opponent.
The USA’s World No. 3 Gauff, who had not previously dropped a set in 2025, came out firing at the start of the second set. She was rewarded for her aggressive shot-making when she leveled the contest at one set apiece.
Bencic had opportunities to challenge Gauff’s serve in the opening game of the decider, but the 2023 U.S. Open champion held firm. Gauff then broke for a 3-1 lead, with the net cord twice working against Bencic at crucial moments.
The 27-year-old Swiss appeared dispirited by her misfortune, and Gauff capitalized by winning the last three games to seal the victory. She will face Spain’s Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals.
“I thought in the first set she played great tennis; it was tough for me to be more on offense,” Gauff said after the match. “Overall, I’m happy with how I played. The first set could have gone my way with a few more points, and I played more aggressively in the second set, then reset to play my best in the third.”
Despite the win, Gauff acknowledged areas for improvement, including nine double faults among a total of 45 unforced errors and a 40 percent success rate on her second serve. As she aims to at least match her run to the semifinals in Melbourne last year, she reflected on her growth as a player.
“We worked very hard in the offseason; obviously there’s still a lot for me to accomplish my goal,” Gauff said. “Maybe a couple of years ago, if I lost the first set, I might lose the match, and I remember my dad said, ‘We’ve got to toughen you up.’ I was just trying to put myself in the position where I could leave the court and feel proud of myself.”
In the day’s other matches, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus knocked out Mirra Andreeva of Russia 6-1, 6-2. She will next face another Russian player, No. 27 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6(0), 6-0.
Reference(s):
Gauff passes Bencic test to advance to last eight at Australian Open
cgtn.com
