Coco Gauff secured her place in the Round of 16 at the Miami Open by overcoming Maria Sakkari in a compelling match. Despite a strong start to the tournament where she didn`t lose a single game in her opening match against Sofia Kenin, Sakkari proved to be a much tougher opponent on Saturday.
Ultimately, Gauff, the No. 3 seed, won 6-2, 6-4 in their tenth career meeting. This victory follows Gauff`s previous win against Sakkari earlier in March at Indian Wells. Their head-to-head record is now even at 5-5.
Reflecting on her dominant first match, Gauff mentioned that she consciously tried not to dwell on it, understanding it was an unusual occurrence. She wanted to focus on the present match against Sakkari.
Similarly, regarding her recent victory over Sakkari in Indian Wells, Gauff acknowledged the challenge of replicating the same success. She anticipated Sakkari would adjust her strategy, which she did. Gauff noted that Sakkari played better in this match compared to Indian Wells, but also felt she herself had improved her game, making the difference.
Gauff, who recently turned 21, is the youngest player to reach the Round of 16 in Miami for two consecutive years since Garbiñe Muguruza in 2012-2013. This also marks the third time Gauff has reached this stage at the Miami Open, equaling her best result from 2022 and 2024.
For Sakkari, the loss and a missed overhead on match point added to a string of recent disappointments. Once a Top 10 player, Sakkari`s current ranking is No. 51. She was aiming for her first back-to-back wins since last year`s Olympics and her first on hard courts since the previous Miami Open.
Gauff is set to face Magda Linette in the Round of 16 on Monday. Linette advanced by defeating qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova.
