Teen tennis sensation Coco Gauff proved resilience is her superpower Sunday, battling back from a first-set loss to defeat Switzerland's Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 at the Australian Open. The victory extends her 2025 unbeaten streak to nine matches! 🌟
Bencic, currently ranked 294th after returning from maternity leave, showed flashes of her Grand Slam-winning pedigree early. But Gauff flipped the script in the second set with aggressive baseline rallies that left fans at Rod Laver Arena cheering 🎉. A controversial net cord at 3-1 in the decider sealed Bencic's fate, with Gauff closing out the match like a seasoned pro.
\"First set was fire from her,\" Gauff told reporters post-match. \"My team’s been drilling mental toughness – shoutout to my dad for the tough love!\" 💪 The 2023 US Open champ acknowledged room for improvement, especially after racking up 45 unforced errors.
Next up: A quarterfinal clash with Spain's Paula Badosa. Meanwhile, top seed Aryna Sabalenka crushed 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2, keeping her title defense alive.
