MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff’s remarkable run of consecutive sets came to an end during the Australian Open, but her quest for a second Grand Slam title continued with a hard-fought comeback victory over Belinda Bencic on Sunday. Gauff prevailed with a score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the fourth round.
Following her win, Gauff drew a poignant broken heart on the lens of a camera courtside, accompanied by the message “RIP TikTok USA,” referencing the recent ban on the application in her home country.
Before this match, Gauff, a 20-year-old talent from Florida who captured the 2023 U.S. Open title as a teenager, had been on a streak, winning all 16 sets she played this year and 24 of her past 25 sets back to the previous season, which included a victory at the WTA Finals.
“In the first set, she played great tennis, and it was tough for me to be on the offense,” Gauff remarked, reflecting on her performance after finishing the last five games in her favor against Bencic. “I just played more aggressively in the second set and then also the third set.”
The No. 3 seed initially struggled to control her shots against Bencic under the sweltering midday sun at Rod Laver Arena, where temperatures soared to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius). The court’s blue surface was heated by the sunlight, causing many spectators to fan themselves while Gauff sought out cooler conditions, using ice packs on her face during breaks.
As challenges mounted late in the first set, Gauff fell victim to her missteps, recording a staggering 20 unforced errors. Bencic managed to break in Gauff’s last two service games, with one game marred by double faults. At times, Gauff looked to her coaching team, arms outstretched, seemingly questioning her options in frustration. After delivering some of her nine double-faults, she would react by slapping her leg in exasperation.
However, Gauff adjusted her strategy after a taxing first set, amassing points rapidly by effectively executing her serve returns and improving her targeting from the baseline. By the end of the match, she had halved her unforced errors in the second set and amassed an impressive 17-2 winner advantage during that period.
Dominating play toward the conclusion, Gauff urged the crowd for more applause after winning a point with a reflex volley in the final game. “Obviously there’s still a lot to go for me to accomplish my goal,” she acknowledged, “but I can say that I’m proud of myself and happy with how I performed.”
Part of Gauff’s early struggles can be attributed to the formidable skills of Bencic, a talented ball-striker with a current ranking that belies her abilities. Although ranked 294, the seasoned 27-year-old from Switzerland has previously reached No. 4 and has returned to competition only recently after maternity leave.
Her past achievements on hard courts are notable, including a semifinal appearance at the 2019 U.S. Open and a gold medal in singles at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. She has faced disappointments in previous fourth-round matches at Melbourne Park, however, losing to notable players such as Maria Sharapova and Aryna Sabalenka.
Now, Gauff is set to face No. 11 Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Badosa secured her spot in the final eight by defeating Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6 (2), marking her first appearance at this stage in Melbourne.
The upcoming match between Gauff and Badosa will determine who advances to face the winner between No. 1 Sabalenka, on the hunt for her third consecutive Australian Open title, and No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the runner-up at the 2021 French Open.
Sabalenka extended her winning streak at the Australian Open to 18 matches with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over 14th-seeded Mirra Andreeva, while Pavlyuchenkova triumphed over No. 18 Donna Vekic with a score of 7-6 (0), 6-0.
Martina Hingis last achieved the feat of winning three straight titles in Australia from 1997 to 1999. Last year, Gauff reached the semifinals at the Australian Open for the first time before being defeated by Sabalenka. A further victory for either player would set the stage for a rematch.
“For me, every match is a new opportunity. It’s a new game,” Sabalenka commented. “You know, it doesn’t matter what happened in the past. It’s about staying in the moment, focusing on myself, and bringing my best game because I know that if I manage that, I can win.”
On the men’s side, the first player to advance to the quarterfinals was No. 12 Tommy Paul from the U.S., who delivered a dominant performance against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-1. Paul, who reached the semifinals in Australia in 2023, will compete against either No. 2 Alexander Zverev or No. 14 Ugo Humbert on Tuesday.
