Coco Gauff's Grit: Survives second-set scare, extends Roland Garros second week streak

Coco Gauff overcame a tough encounter against Marie Bouzkova to advance to the fourth round of Roland Garros with a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory. The match was marked by service struggles from both players. The American's level dropped in the second set, but she managed to draw on her experience and class when it mattered most.

Gauff now holds a 23-5 record at Roland Garros, reaching the second week of the tournament for the fifth consecutive time. In pursuit of the quarterfinals, she will face Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova (world No. 20), who comes off a win against Veronika Kudermetova and has yet to concede a set in the tournament.

At the start of the first set, Coco Gauff quickly gained the advantage with an early break, winning 12 of the first 15 points played. She effortlessly went up 3-0 and appeared far superior to her opponent, who couldn't maintain long rallies. The American showed improvements on her serve; despite a poor 53% first serve percentage, her effectiveness was impeccable when she did land her first serve, achieving 100% efficiency.

Bouzkova managed to defend her serve only once in the 4th game, but she couldn't do much more. Gauff took the lead by getting another break, winning the last 10 points consecutively. The world No. 2 won 75% of the points played, hitting 10 winners and committing only 4 unforced errors.

The second set was characterized by inconsistencies from both players. The Czech started by holding her serve, but then a battle of breaks ensued. Bouzkova capitalized on all four consecutive break opportunities she had: four consecutive games where Gauff couldn't defend her serve. On the other hand, the American responded with an equal number: four breaks from six opportunities.

When Bouzkova was up 5-4, Gauff managed to snap her negative streak and finally hold her serve to tie the score at 5-5. During the set, double faults had resurfaced for the former US Open champion, but she managed to force a tie-break. This time, Coco showed her class in the decisive moments, sealing the victory 6-1, 7-6(2) in a match that became more complicated than expected due to errors.

In the fourth round, she will face Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has conceded an average of just 4.3 games per match and defeated Veronika Kudermetova in the third round.