Coco Gauff Survives Second-Round Scare In Indian Wells To Snap Three-Match Losing Streak
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Coco Gauff didn't play the best match of her career in the second round of the 2025 Indian Wells Open, but she won, and that's what counts.
Gauff entered the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells on a three-match losing streak. She lost her quarter-final match at the Australian Open and she lost her first matches in Doha and Dubai.
However, when asked about her losing streak in Indian Wells, the young American didn't seem to be too bothered by it. She said that she would have more losing streaks in the future, but she certainly wanted to snap this one.
Her first opponent was Moyuka Uchijima, who defeated Emma Raducanu in the first round. Uchijima proved that she is a player capable of troubling the best, and she did that against Gauff as well.
The 2023 US Open champion started the match on the back foot. She lost her serve early to fall behind 1-2. But Gauff quickly recovered, breaking back and later adding another break to win the first set of the match 6-4.
Despite playing a relatively good set and winning 80% of the rallies after her first serve, the 20-year-old greatly struggled on her second serve. She made five double faults and won only two out of nine points after her second serve.
Gauff's serving issues continued in the second set of the match. She made six doubles faults and won only four out of 15 points after her second serve. On top of that, her percentages after the first serve dropped as well.
It wasn't a good set from the 2024 WTA Finals champion who was broken four times. She held her serve only once in the second set, which is why she lost it 3-6.
But Gauff was able to forget the terrible second set and start really well in the third set. She broke Uchijima's serve twice to lead 4-0, and it seemed like she could start thinking about her post-match meal.
Yet, her opponent didn't make things so easy. The American player lost her one-break advantage, and despite her having one match point on return at 5-3 and another one on serve at 5-4, the score was tied again at 5-5.
Once again, Gauff was able to stay strong mentally, and despite nearly throwing away a won match, she was the better player on the court in the closing stages.
The WTA World No. 3 broke her opponent's serve again, but again, she wasn't able to serve out the match. That meant it had to be decided in a tie-break.
Gauff was the better player in the tie-break, building a 6-2 lead, but she couldn't use her first two match points. She finally used her third in the tie-break and fifth overall to win the match 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4). Her next opponent will be the 29th-seeded Maria Sakkari.
