Gauff Reaches Dubai Quarters with Win Over Mertens

Coco Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday after a gritty comeback victory over Elise Mertens, saving three match points to win 2-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 in the United Arab Emirates.

The 21-year-old American, seeded third, endured a challenging match that lasted two hours and 18 minutes. Gauff struggled with her serve throughout, committing 16 double faults and landing just 43 percent of her first serves. Despite dropping the opening set and facing elimination in the second, she rallied to force a tiebreaker and then dominated the decider. The win improved her head-to-head record against the Belgian to 5-0, following previous triumphs at events including the 2024 Indian Wells Open and the 2023 US Open.

After the match, Gauff addressed the crowd on center court, apologizing for the delay to the subsequent contest between Alexandra Eala and Sorana Cirstea. "I know you guys are probably here for Alex Eala, so I'm sorry to make you wait," she said. "But if I'm not mistaken, I think some of you guys were cheering for me, so I appreciate it a lot. I hope you guys enjoy the next match, but thank you for cheering for me for now."