By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, March 9, 2024
US Open champion Coco Gauff rallied from a 2-5 third-set deficit defeating Clara Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) to fight into the Indian Wells third round.
Photo credit: Michael Owens/Getty
Squinting into the high sun, Coco Gauff faced deep deficit with complete commitment.
Relying on fast feet and fierce desire, Gauff rallied from a 2-5 third-set deficit defeating Clara Burel 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) to fight into the Indian Wells third round.
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The 47th-ranked Frenchwoman, who swept Gauff’s doubles partner, world No. 5 Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2 in the Australian Open second round last January, served for the match at 5-3.
US Open champion Gauff broke back at love then took charge in the tiebreaker striking three winners in the first four points bursting out to a 6-2 lead in the breaker.
It wasn’t pretty—Gauff committed 10 double faults, lost six straight games in one stretch and mis-hit some forehands—but the third seed was resourceful and resilient applying coach Brad Gilbert’s “Winning Ugly” mantra to make history. Gauff is the first teenager to score 50 victories in at the WTA 1000 level.
"I think for me it's just getting through that match definitely meant a lot," Gauff said. "Could have easily thrown in the towel. But honestly, I was just telling myself, like, win or lose, I don't want to have any regrets on the court. I want to be like I gave myself the best opportunity to win, and I did that.
"Am I proud of how I played? Not really, to be honest. But the fight, I am proud of. I am eager to improve. I think it wasn't my best tennis at all. I think I just have a lot of improvement that I can do to get better."
Gauff, who was coming off a tough 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 setback to 40th-ranked qualifier Anna Kalinskaya in last month’s Dubai quarterfinals, raised her 2024 record to 13-3.
Since her 2023 Wimbledon first-round loss to Sofia Kenin, Gauff is 37-7 with four tournament titles to her credit.
The serve can still cause issues for Gauff—she hit eight double faults in her Australian Open semifinal loss to Aryna Sabalenka—and struggled to land first serves in the first set today.
Decelerating on a second serve, Gauff netted a double fault to face triple break point in the third game. Gauff saved two break points but dumped her second double fault of the game into net, ceding the break and a 2-1 lead to the Frenchwoman.
Though Gauff broke back in the fourth game, she couldn’t find her first serve. Gauff coughed up her third double fault of the game—and fifth double fault of the day—gifting a second straight break on a double fault.
An assertive Burel backed up the break for 4-2.
A frustrated Gauff could not find her range or rhythm. Gauff bumped a drop shot attempt into net as Burel earned her third consecutive break for 5-2.
Burel banged a forehand winner down the line for triple set point. Whipping the wide serve, Burel closed the 32-minute opener with the first love hold of the match.
In a horrific serving set, Gauff committed six double faults to go along with 14 unforced errors.
Trying to shake off her serve struggles, Gauff double-faulted again. The US Open champion was falling backward when she ballooned a forehand beyond the baseline surrendering serve for the fourth time.
Moving her forehand corner to corner, Burel pulled the string on the drop shot to drag Gauff forward then pushed her back with a drive holding to confirm. Burel’s sixth straight game put her ahead 2-0.
Gauff stopped her spiral holding at 15 for her first hold since the first game of the match.
That hold sparked Gauff.
The third seed cleaned up her act, cut down on the errors and broke back at love. Feeling pressured by Gauff’s depth, Burel double-faulted away a second break. Gauff snatched her fourth game in a row for 4-2.
The world No. 47 held firm in the eighth game to stop Gauff’s five-game surge.
Two-time Auckland champion Gauff showed her speed chasing down all Burel threw at her to clinch her third set point and send the match into a final set after 73 minutes.
Working over the American’s weaker forehand wing, Burel elicited a loopy forehand error to break for a 2-0 lead in the decider.
The 19-year-old Gauff pressured in the third game, but couldn’t control a slithering slice. Gauff’s forehand crashed into the top and fell wide as Burel tamed the test holding for 3-0.
Throughout the final set it was Burel controlling the center of the court and Gauff doing much of the retrieving. A meek Gauff lob lacked loft and Burel punched away a forehand volley scoring her sixth break of the day for a 4-0 lead.
“Come on! Up the energy!” coach Brad Gilbert exhorted Gauff after she broke back in the fifth game.
The US Open champion responded holding in the sixth game.
Wrong-footing the third seed with a jarring crosscourt forehand, Burel sent Gauff tumbling to her knee in the seventh game. Gauff got up and gave a thumbs-up to her box, but Burel continued to hammer away.
Streaking forward, Burel buried a forehand drive volley into the corner holding with a heavy strike for 5-2.
Serving for the match at 5-3, Burel was overwhelmed by a blitz of deep return blasts from Gauff. The US Open champion broke back at love for 4-5 with her eighth consecutive point.
A pumped up Gauff yelled “come on!” taking her third game in a row to level after 10 games.
Turning up the aggression in the tiebreaker, Gauff put her speed to offensive use hitting a superb stretch volley to open, blasting a backhand winner down the line and thumping a smash to go up 3-1.
Another smash and a backhand bolt that rattled Burel’s racquet gave Gauff four match points at 6-2.
Credit Burel for fending off two match points.
Locking down on the baseline, Gauff refused to wilt winning a 24-shot rally to end a tough two hour, 16-minute victory.
Gauff pointed to her head and heart signifying she won this one on guts and desire.
Still, Gauff will want to clean up her serve in round three when she faces 53rd-ranked Lucia Bronzetti, a 6-3, 6-4 victor over Anhelina Kalinina.
Anna Blinkova continued her strong start to the season toppling fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
The win comes nearly two months after Blinkova upset 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open.