Miami Open Match Preview
“It’s not as bad as it seems,” Gauff said of her level of play after she lost to Belinda Bencic in an error-strewn three-setter at Indian Wells.
She was right that her level did “seem” pretty subpar. She had gone 0-2 in Doha and Dubai in February, committed 21 double-faults in a closer-than-it-should-have-been opening win at Indian Wells, and then lost control of her forehand down the stretch against Bencic. The two elements of her game that she had recently improved—her serve and forehand—were failing her again.
But Gauff has experience digging herself out of slumps, and she was surely right not to despair in Indian Wells. On Thursday in Miami she bounced back to beat Sofia Kenin—a player who has beaten her twice in the past—6-0, 6-0.
“It was really great tennis from me,” Gauff said.
Are the bad times behind her now? Gauff has a 4-5 record against Sakkari, but she just beat the Greek in straight sets in Indian Wells. Sakkari was a semifinalist in Miami in 2021; now she’s ranked 51st, and is 6-10 on the year. When she faced Gauff in Indian Wells, she was good enough to force a first-set tiebreaker, but but not good enough to win it. Winner: Gauff—Steve Tignor
👉 Click here for more news on the Miami Open.
