In her last match as a teenager,
Coco Gauff is through to the Last 16 of the
Indian Wells Open after defeating Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6(5). The no.3 seed will face the winner of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Elise Mertens for a spot in the Quarter-Finals.
It also concludes her run of wins at WTA 1000 level to 51 as a teenager which will now finish so she will not be able to add to that. But given that she said that she will be around for at least 10 more years, there will be plenty of main WTA 1000 wins as an adult to come.
Facing nine break points in her first three service games, Gauff saved each and every one of them en route to victory. In the end, she thwarted 10 out of 11 break point opportunities forged by Bronzetti. The Italian was aiming to win three straight WTA 1000 matches for the first time in her career, but couldn't break her duck against top 10 opponents.
After a poor opening stanza, she saved break points but was broken only to hit back and take a 4-2 lead. She converted her fourth set point as Bronzetti found the net. Gauff pounced on an erratic forehand in the second to make it 4-2. But Gauff was hit back and it went all the way to a tie-break which Gauff claimed after making it 5-5 initially. She will be in double duty also today as she plays with Jessica Pegula for one of the final times in the doubles Quarter-Finals. A partnership coming to an end, but Gauff's run as a teenager has also been halted. After indifferent recent form, she will hope this will now take her forward after losses to Katerina Siniakova and Anna Kalinskaya recently.