MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff’s remarkable run of consecutive sets came to an end at the Australian Open, but her quest for a second Grand Slam title is very much alive. On Sunday, she staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Belinda Bencic with a score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the fourth round.
The dynamic 20-year-old from Florida, who clinched the 2023 U.S. Open as a teenager, had previously dominated the courts. She swept through all 16 sets she played this year and won 24 of her last 25 matches, including a championship title at the WTA Finals.
However, the No. 3 seed struggled with her form during the early exchanges against Bencic on a sweltering afternoon at Rod Laver Arena. With temperatures soaring to 90°F (32°C) and the vibrant blue court radiating in the sunlight, the heat presented a significant challenge for the players.
As the crowd fanned themselves in the stands, Gauff sought refuge in the cool air provided by the player benches, eager to find her rhythm once more.
As the first set progressed, it became increasingly difficult for Gauff. Bencic exploited gaps in her game, breaking serve during Gauff’s final two service games—one marred by double-faults—as the American piled up an astonishing 20 unforced errors.
Whenever her shots went astray—landing in the net, sailing long, or veering off course—Gauff would glance toward her coaches, arms raised in exasperation, as if to question, “What do I do now?” Each of her nine double-faults prompted a frustrated slap to her leg.
Yet, after an hour of struggle in the opening set, Gauff found her groove. She racked up points rapidly, judicially targeting spots from the baseline and firing back serves with newfound intensity. The transformation was palpable—her unforced errors halved in the second set, complemented by a stunning 17-2 advantage in winners.
As the match unfolded, Gauff regained complete command, even gesturing to the enthusiastic crowd for increased cheers after a breathtaking reflex volley during the final game.
It’s worth noting that Bencic’s skill as a ball-striker posed a genuine threat. Despite her current ranking at No. 294, the 27-year-old Swiss player, who had previously peaked at No. 4, made her return to the tour in October after taking time off for maternity leave.
Bencic has showcased her talent on hard courts before, making it to the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 2019 and earning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, with this loss, she falls to 0-3 in fourth-round matches at the Australian Open, having previously faced off against notable competitors like Maria Sharapova and Aryna Sabalenka.
Next, Gauff will face No. 11 Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Badosa advanced after eliminating Olga Danilovic with a score of 6-1, 7-6 (2), marking her first appearance in the final eight in Melbourne.
The victor of the Gauff vs. Badosa matchup will move on to challenge either the top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka, who is in pursuit of her third consecutive Australian Open title, or No. 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 French Open runner-up.
Sabalenka continues her impressive streak in Melbourne, now at 18 matches, after convincingly defeating 14th-seeded Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2. Pavlyuchenkova also showcased her prowess by sweeping No. 18 Donna Vekic 7-6 (0), 6-0.
Martina Hingis was the last woman to achieve three consecutive championships in Australia, a feat accomplished between 1997 and 1999.