Coco Gauff emulates Williams sisters after Indian Wells ‘revenge’ mission keeps American on track to end 24-year drought
Coco Gauff secured a spot of Indian Wells revenge against Maria Sakkari on Monday. The US star, ranked third in the world, is through to the last 16 of the tournament thanks to a straight sets win against her Greek opponent. Gauff advanced to the last 16 of Indian Wells with a straight sets winGetty It was a rematch of last year’s Indian Wells semifinal, which saw Sakkari advance to face Iga Swiatek, where she was beaten in the showpiece. But this year, the World No. 29 was unable to take a set from Gauff, who completed her revenge mission with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 win. “I lost to Maria here last year, so it felt good to get a little revenge today,” the 20-year-old said after the match. “Even though I love her.” In beating Sakkari, Gauff also became the first American woman to reach the round of 16 at Indian Wells for three consecutive years since Venus Williams did so in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She will now be hoping to go a few steps further and end a 24-year drought for the US at the tournament. The last American woman to win on home soil in California was Serena Williams, way back in 2001. The tennis icon beat Kim Clijsters in the final that year, but during the tournament, her father Richard Williams said that racially motivated jeers were made towards his family by other spectators. As a result, both Serena and Venus pledged to boycott the event, even though it was a mandatory stop on the WTA tour. Serena’s boycott lasted until 2015, and an American woman has not won any of the last 24 editions. Williams was the last American woman to win at Indian Wells, back in 2001AFP Serena and her sister, Venus, went on to boycott the tournament after their father said he was the target of racial slursAFP Check out all the best Cheltenham Festival free bets and offers at our dedicated page If Gauff is to be the one to end the Indian Wells wait, she will need to do it the hard way. In her opening match at the combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 event, the US star made 21 double faults — tied for the most she’s ever had — and 74 enforced errors during the two hour, 33-minute contest against Uchijima. She came into the tournament on a three-match losing streak, having suffered a loss to Paula Badosa in the quarter-final at the Australian Open before back-to-back losses against Martha Kostyuk in Doha and McCartney Kessler in Dubai. After squeezing past Uchijima with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory, Gauff admitted that she had played ‘D-grade tennis’. “It’s been a rough couple of weeks, and I’m just happy to get a win on the court,” Gauff admitted. “It wasn’t my best tennis, but a win is a win… It was just an up-and-down process. It’s tough out there. Gauff admitted to playing ‘D tennis’ in her win against UchijimaGetty “But, I mean, if I’m able to win matches playing kind of like D tennis, then it gives me confidence just when I’m able to mesh things together like I did earlier this season.” With a straight sets win against Sakkari, Gauff is beginning to show signs that things are ‘meshing’ again – and she will now hope to overcome Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic to reach the last eight. Fellow Americans Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula are also still alive in the draw.
Coco Gauff secured a spot of Indian Wells revenge against Maria Sakkari on Monday.
The US star, ranked third in the world, is through to the last 16 of the tournament thanks to a straight sets win against her Greek opponent.
It was a rematch of last year’s Indian Wells semifinal, which saw Sakkari advance to face Iga Swiatek, where she was beaten in the showpiece.
But this year, the World No. 29 was unable to take a set from Gauff, who completed her revenge mission with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 win.
“I lost to Maria here last year, so it felt good to get a little revenge today,” the 20-year-old said after the match.
“Even though I love her.”
In beating Sakkari, Gauff also became the first American woman to reach the round of 16 at Indian Wells for three consecutive years since Venus Williams did so in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
She will now be hoping to go a few steps further and end a 24-year drought for the US at the tournament.
The last American woman to win on home soil in California was Serena Williams, way back in 2001.
The tennis icon beat Kim Clijsters in the final that year, but during the tournament, her father Richard Williams said that racially motivated jeers were made towards his family by other spectators.
As a result, both Serena and Venus pledged to boycott the event, even though it was a mandatory stop on the WTA tour.
Serena’s boycott lasted until 2015, and an American woman has not won any of the last 24 editions.
Check out all the best Cheltenham Festival free bets and offers at our dedicated page
If Gauff is to be the one to end the Indian Wells wait, she will need to do it the hard way.
In her opening match at the combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 event, the US star made 21 double faults — tied for the most she’s ever had — and 74 enforced errors during the two hour, 33-minute contest against Uchijima.
She came into the tournament on a three-match losing streak, having suffered a loss to Paula Badosa in the quarter-final at the Australian Open before back-to-back losses against Martha Kostyuk in Doha and McCartney Kessler in Dubai.
After squeezing past Uchijima with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory, Gauff admitted that she had played ‘D-grade tennis’.
“It’s been a rough couple of weeks, and I’m just happy to get a win on the court,” Gauff admitted.
“It wasn’t my best tennis, but a win is a win… It was just an up-and-down process. It’s tough out there.
“But, I mean, if I’m able to win matches playing kind of like D tennis, then it gives me confidence just when I’m able to mesh things together like I did earlier this season.”
With a straight sets win against Sakkari, Gauff is beginning to show signs that things are ‘meshing’ again – and she will now hope to overcome Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic to reach the last eight.
Fellow Americans Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula are also still alive in the draw.
