Gauff Settles In and Strikes Back at Cocciaretto in Miami
After shaking off an Indian Wells injury and a rain-soaked delay, Coco Gauff turns the tables on Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s aggressive pace, grinding out a three-set win that reignites her Miami Open campaign.
MIAMI -- The echo of Indian Wells still hummed in Coco Gauff’s veins as she walked onto the court at Hard Rock Stadium, her arm a quiet reminder of that mid-match retirement against Alexandra Eala. Days earlier, the pull to skip the Miami Open had felt real, the weight of uncertainty pressing against her drive to defend points on home soil. But the humid Florida air and the roar of a local crowd drew her back, setting the stage for a Round of 64 clash where every point carried the season’s building tension.
Against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Gauff faced an opponent who thrives on early ball-taking, her crisp returns slicing through service games like a knife through warm butter. The Italian, ranked outside the top 50, had edged Gauff in their last meeting, adding a layer of psychological friction to the hard-court skirmish. Rain forced a multi-hour delay—the second in three days—leaving Gauff to stew in the locker room, her mind sharpening against the backdrop of a tournament that tests resolve as much as strokes.
“Every day it’s different, but I think for the most part I will be fine playing this tournament,” Gauff said ahead of the event. “I might feel it sometimes on court, but I definitely feel it less and less every day.”
Early breaks expose Gauff’s uneven start
Cocciaretto pounced once play resumed, breaking twice to snag the first set 6-4, her down-the-line backhand punishing Gauff’s tentative serves. Double faults piled up—11 for the match—pulling the American into reactive mode, her forehand inside-in shots landing short under the pressure of the quicker surface. The crowd’s murmurs grew as Gauff trailed early in the second, the Italian’s tempo dictating short, sharp exchanges that left little room for the world No. 3’s signature rally building.
Yet at 4-4, Gauff reset with a deep crosscourt return that forced an error, breaking back and tilting the baseline battle her way. As points stretched, her heavy topspin gripped the court, pulling Cocciaretto off the baseline and opening angles for backhand passes. The set closed 6-3 when the Italian’s backhand misfired, the shift in rhythm drawing cheers that rippled through the stands like a wave breaking on shore.
Rally control unlocks third-set edge
Cocciaretto struck first in the decider with a break, but Gauff responded immediately, her inside-out forehand landing with bite to level at 1-1. Holding at love for 2-2, she then broke again for a 3-2 lead, her movement fluid despite the arm’s occasional twinge, redirecting pace with crosscourt precision. A multi-deuce hold pushed her to 4-2, the Miami sun piercing the clouds to match the clarity returning to her game.
Serving at 5-3, Gauff converted her third match point with a down-the-line winner, sealing the 6-4 finish amid a surge of applause. She captured 63 percent of her service points, edging out slim margins—21 winners to Cocciaretto’s 23, 39 unforced errors against 36—but her composure in the clutch moments turned the tide. This victory marked Gauff’s 103rd career WTA 1000 match win before turning 23, tying Caroline Wozniacki for second all-time behind Martina Hingis’s 154, with Victoria Azarenka at 101 and Maria Sharapova at 97.
“She takes the ball so early, you don’t have a lot of time to react,” Gauff said on court. “Once I got adjusted to the tempo, I felt like I could control the rallies when they went longer. Last time we played I didn’t win, so I wanted to overcome that feeling. This week made me realize how much I love this sport. Even when it’s tough, I enjoy the ups and downs of the journey.”
As the Miami Open deepens, Gauff’s adaptation signals a player harnessing the hard-court skid to fuel longer runs, her rediscovered joy positioning her to chase deeper into a draw alive with redemption arcs.
