Coco Gauff Defeats Maria Sakkari 2-0 in Miami Open Third Round

Maria Sakkari’s run at the Miami Open was halted in the third round as Coco Gauff triumphed with a decisive 2-0 set victory, marking her second consecutive loss following Indian Wells. Sakkari made numerous unforced errors in the first set, allowing Gauff to capitalize and secure it relatively easily with breaks in the 4th (3-1) and 8th game (6-2). Despite starting stronger in the second set and leading 2-0, Sakkari faced strong resistance from Gauff, who leveled the score at 2-2. Although Sakkari regained the lead with another break at 4-2, showing potential to extend the match to a third set, Gauff struck back fiercely. She brought the set to 4-4, eventually taking the lead for the first time (5-4), and ultimately claimed the set (6-4) with yet another break. This marked Gauff’s fifth win over Sakkari (tying their head-to-head record at 5-5), her second consecutive victory within 15 days, and her fourth in their last five encounters. Sakkari will now shift focus to clay courts, preparing for the upcoming clay season beginning with the tournament in Charleston in early April.