By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Sunday, January 19, 2025
Coco Gauff needed three sets over Belinda Bencic to keep her perfect season win streak intact and reach the AO quarterfinals. Photo Credit: ROLEX
Coco Gauff found herself tested but ultimately unstoppable as she kept her perfect win streak alive and with it her hopes for a second Grand Slam title.
The No. 3 seed Gauff needed three sets before getting past Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the fourth round to reach the quarterfinals in Melbourne. The top American woman heated up her game after a slow start to match the sweltering 90-degree heat on Rod Laver Arena.
Bencic, a former top 10 player and Olympic Gold medalist from Tokyo 2021, is making a speedy comeback to tennis after returning to the tour last October after giving her birth to her daughter Bella earlier in 2024. While Bencic, currently ranked World No. 294, wasn’t even sure she would play Melbourne, she certainly proved she deserves to be back playing against the very best of the WTA.
In the first set, Bencic showed off vintage precision shotmaking and stellar counterpunching that frustrated Gauff. Though Gauff last defeated Bencic in Washington DC in 2023, early in the set it appeared the American had a hard time reading Bencic’s shots.
Gauff also didn’t help matters by choosing to return Bencic’s serve from just behind her baseline. Because of that, Bencic found herself winning 55 percent of her second serve points as both players found themselves knotted at 4-all. Bencic, continuing to control many of the longer rallies, soon broke Gauff for the pivotal 5-4 lead. Gauff did manage to break Bencic back to get even at 5-all.
But then, Gauff in her next service game tossed in two untimely double faults to hand the break back for 6-5. Bencic, with yet another potent backhand winner on her second set point would seal the set 7-5 after just over an hour of play. With that, Gauff dropped her first set of the tournament and for the 2025 season.
Gauff changed the direction of the match early in the second set. The 2023 US Open champion started playing with more aggression and taking her service returns from inside the baseline.
That change in tactics helped Gauff earn an early break and soon enough a 3-0 lead. Gauff, finding more free points with her serve as well, eventually increased her lead to 5-2. She would break Bencic again with a crosscourt forehand winner to take the set 6-2.
Gauff dominated the second set hitting 17 winners to just two from Bencic.
As temperatures soared to over 90 degrees on court, Gauff appeared ready to run away with the contest. Especially since Bencic herself has not played that many matches since coming back in October.
Bencic managed to keep things close early in the final set as she pushed Gauff to several close games. But as the heat continued to rise, Bencic herself began to look weary while Gauff was definitely the fresher of the two. Gauff secured the key service break in the fourth game after Bencic sent a backhand wide.
That gave Gauff the 3-1 lead and she never looked back from there.
Gauff would soon serve out the victory after over two hours of play 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Gauff will next face No. 11 seed Paula Badosa of Spain who defeated Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6(2). It's the first ever quarterfinals appearance in Melbourne for Badosa.