Survivor: Gauff Saves Three Match Points, Fights Off Mertens for Dubai Quarterfinals

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook

Coco Gauff withstood a deluge of double faults, denied three match points and unleashed a desert storm revival to survive in Dubai.

The reigning Roland Garros champion fought off three match points in the tiebreaker and broke serve three times in a row to end a wild 2-6, 7-6(9) 6-3 comeback conquest of Elise Mertens to reach the Dubai quarterfinals.

It was Gauff’s 100th career WTA 1000 match victory.

The third-seeded Gauff beat Mertens for the fifth time in as many meetings and will play either Transylvania Open champion Sorana Cirstea or 20-year-old Filipina phenom Alexandra Eala for a semifinal spot.

“I don’t even remember the last time I saved match points, probably when I was around 15,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “I’m really happy to get through today. I know you guys are probably here for Alex [Eala], so I’m sorry to make you wait. 

“But if I’m not mistaken I think some of you guys were cheering for me so I appreciate it a lot. And I hope you guys enjoy the next match, but thank you for cheering for me for now.”

Gauff joins compatriots Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova in the last eight.

No. 2-seeded Anisimova broke serve six times, sweeping Indonesian wild card Janice Tjen 6-1, 6-3 in 70 minutes. 

Wimbledon and US Open finalist Anisimova will face defending champion Mirra Andreeva for a place in the semifinals.

The fifth-seeded Andreeva defeated Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 7-5, 6-3 to improve to 7-1 lifetime in Dubai.

In an all-American clash, Pegula pounded out a 6-4, 6-2 win over 18-year-old Iva Jovic. Pegula will play 12th-seeded Clara Tauson in the quarterfinals with the winner taking on either Anisimova or Andreeva in the semifinals.

There’s winning ugly then there’s surviving downright unsightly stretches of tennis, which is what Gauff did today. 

Gauff’s grit and tenacity carried her through a match that saw her spit up 16 double faults, including four consecutive doubles midway through the third set. 

When the serve goes kablooey, Gauff has a tendency to rush through it rather than pause for a second, try to regroup and consider exactly what she wants to do on each delivery. It’s as if Gauff wants to rush straight into the rally without completing the serving process precisely.

Still, despite donating four full games of double faults—and floating her forehand for stretches of the match—you have to credit Gauff’s fighting spirit that saw her play some of her best tennis down match points and repeatedly reset after some horrific service games.

On the flip side, if you’re Mertens, and the Slam champion you’ve never beaten is giving you service games, you must capitalize. 

The doubles world No. 1 is a fine volleyer, but looked apprehensive about approaching and when she did come in on a relatively tame approach on her second match point, Mertens paid the price as Gauff spun a forehand pass down the line.

In a fast start today, Mertens broke at love to open, winning eight of the first nine points for a 2-0 lead.

The 2021 Dubai semifinalist Mertens served out the opening set at 15—she won eight of her last nine service points earning a one-set lead.

Trying to reset, Gauff still struggled to find her range.

The 22nd-ranked Belgian banged a backhand return down the line breaking at 15 to start the second set. It was Mertens’ third break through the first nine games of the match.

After that fretful stretch, Gauff began gaining ground. 

The two-time Grand Slam champion broke back at 30 and confirmed the break for a 2-1 lead—her first lead of the match.

Striking with more consistency, Gauff was looping her topspin forehand crosscourt high to the Belgian’s weaker forehand wing. When Mertens slapped a redirected forehand into net, Gauff scored her second straight break for 3-1.

Sustaining momentum proved problematic. Mertens broke right back and drained errors holding at 30 to level the set after six games.

Fighting herself and the Belgian, Gauff hit a backhand pass down the line that helped her break for 5-3.

When she served for the set with new balls, Gauff completely cratered, committing a couple of double fault as Mertens broke back then held at 15 to level 5-all. Gauff hit her ninth double fault to cede the break and a 6-5 lead, but came right back to exploit a Mertens double fault and break back at love to force the second-set tiebreaker.

Though Gauff went up 5-3 in the tiebreaker, Mertens answered with three points in a row for her first match point. 

Gauff hit a quality deep serve to save the first match point only to double fault and give Mertens a second match point. The Belgian followed a backhand forward, but her approach was too central and Gauff lashed a forehand pass down the line to draw even at 7-all.

On the third match point, Gauff leaned into a backhand and blasted it crosscourt for 9-all. A Gauff backhand crashed into the tape and crawled over net giving her a second set point at 10-9.

When Mertens flattened a forehand into net, Gauff grabbed the tiebreaker to force a final set.

Cumulative pressure from Gauff caused Mertens to crack in the fifth game. Mertens missed a drive long then clanked her fifth double fault as Gauff broke for a 3-2 lead in the decider.

The Delray Beach-born baseliner continued to be her own worst enemy on serve at times. Gauff, who was dropping her head and letting her toss arm crumble at times, coughed up three consecutive double faults gift-wrapping the break back.

Still, Gauff regrouped on return. A deep return and a Mertens stray forehand helped Gauff break again for 4-3.

Though she opened the eighth game with a fourth straight double fault, Gauff steadied herself through a deuce hold for 5-3.

In a match that saw the pair combine for 12 breaks of serve, Gauff broke for the final time on a Mertens error to survive a scratchy win primarily through the power of her perseverance.