By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, March 21, 2026Photo credit score: Matthew Stockman/Getty
Sticky conditions are typically springboards for Coco Gauff comebacks.
Down a set to explosive Alycia Parks tonight, Gauff started driving the ball deeper shrinking area and stretching rallies.
A streaking Gauff tore by 9 straight video games, a catalyst for her 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 comeback conquest of Parks in an all-American conflict on the Miami Open.
Leaning into the ball, Gauff banged a backhand strike crosscourt to shut in a single hour, 50 minutes.
The fourth-seeded Gauff secured her fourth journey to the Miami spherical of 16. Gauff will face Romanian Sorana Cirstea for a quarterfinal spot.
Cirstea saved six of seven break factors defeating Twenty first-seeded Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-2 on Court docket 2. Of their lone prior assembly on the 2020 Australian Open, Gauff edged Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Going through Parks on this all-American conflict on Stadium Court docket, Gauff took an early 2-0 lead.
Then Parks started rocketing drives down the road off each wings, pound Gauff’s second serve and reel off six of the following seven video games.
Whereas Parks was enjoying off the entrance foot, Gauff drifted behind the baseline making an attempt to attract errors. As a substitute, Gauff put a forehand into the center of the online as Parks held—her fifth straight sport—for 5-2.
Launching herself up and out into the courtroom, Parks served out the primary set with command.
A gritty Gauff dug in with dedication denying three break factors in working by a tense five-deuce maintain that spanned almost 9 minutes to open the second set.
Contesting her third Miami Open, Parks misplaced the vary on her forehand, misfiring on that stroke a few instances as Gauff drained errors breaking at 30 for a 2-0 lead.Â
Freezing Parks with the slice ace, Gauff drew an errant return backing up the break for a 3-0 benefit.
Embracing the grind, Gauff got here again from 40-Love down to interrupt Parks for 4-0. Then Gauff roared again from Love-40 down in a gritty maintain for 5-0.
Flashing a forehand return winner crosscourt gave Gauff a second set level. When Parks missed the mark lengthy, Gauff scored her third straight break for the bagel set.
Exuding extra power within the decider, Gauff exploited a Parks double fault to interrupt for a 2-0 third-set lead.
The 2-time Grand Slam champion fended off three break factors and refused to yield holding for her ninth consecutive sport and a 3-0 benefit.
When she’s on her sport, the ultra-aggressive Parks can dictate play towards nearly anybody. At present, Parks was enjoying sensible first strike tennis for one set, however as Gauff drove the ball deeper and took rallies to bodily locations, Parks misplaced her edge.
Struggling to maintain her drives between the strains, Parks, who was enjoying with taping on her left hamstring, regarded rather more winded than Gauff because the third set waged on.
Although Parks saved three break factors within the sixth sport, she pushed a drop shot extensive as Gauff broke for 5-1.
Delray Seaside native Gauff closed with a backhand bang and if Gauff can beat Cirstea for a visit to her first Miami Open quarterfinal she would play both US Open finalist Amanda Anisimova or former Olympic gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic.
