Birthday girl. Birthday WIN 🥳 @CocoGauff celebrates turning 20 with a 6-0 6-2 victory over Mertens. #IndianWells | #TennisParadise
Coco GAUFF celebrates her 20th birthday with a victory over Elise MERTENS at Indian Wells
WTAWednesday, 13 March 2024 at 22:29
Coco Gauff
(No. 3) swept aside Elise Mertens (No. 24) with a score of 6-0, 6-2, advancing
to the quarterfinals of Indian Wells. The American was overpowering from the
beginning of the match and secures her spot among the top eight in a WTA 1000
for the 12th time in her career at just 20 years old.
From the
start, Gauff showcased a high level of tennis and seized her first break
opportunity to take a 2-0 lead. Despite Mertens later having a sole break
chance, Gauff navigated through the only challenging moment of the set.
The Belgian
player won only 22% of the points with her first serve and 29% with the second,
in addition to squandering her lone break opportunity. Gauff took the
initiative to lead the points from the baseline, especially with her backhand,
avoiding long exchanges and securing six consecutive games to finish the first
set 6-0 in just 25 minutes.
In the
second set, Gauff maintained her excellent form and broke her opponent again to
go up 2-0. It was only then that Mertens reacted, seizing her only break
opportunity in the third game and later holding a hard-fought service game to
level the score at 2-2.
The 2023 US
Open champion read Mertens' serve well and maintained her superiority
throughout the rest of the set. Gauff faced no further difficulties and
ultimately closed the match with two consecutive breaks, securing a 6-0, 6-2
victory. In the quarterfinals, she awaits the winner between the 11th seed
Daría Kasatkina and the surprising Chinese player Yue Yuean (No. 49).
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