Coco Gauff Advances in Dubai, Acknowledges Struggles with Form and Conditions
Dubai, UAE – – No. 3 seed Coco Gauff secured a hard-fought victory over Anna Kalinskaya in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, prevailing 6-4, 6-4. The win avenges a previous upset loss to Kalinskaya in the 2024 Dubai quarterfinals, but Gauff admitted the match was far from straightforward.
Gauff was forced to come from behind in both sets, facing a break early in each. Kalinskaya, who reached the Doha quarterfinals last week, presented a challenging opponent, employing aggressive baseline play. However, her strategy was hampered by 45 unforced errors compared to just 11 winners.
The match was also marked by physical difficulties for Kalinskaya, who required a medical timeout while trailing 4-3 in the first set for treatment on her left leg. Despite her struggles, Kalinskaya pushed Gauff, leading 2-0 in the first set and 3-1 in the second.
Gauff herself wasn’t immune to errors, committing 12 double faults and 33 unforced errors. Nevertheless, she demonstrated resilience and defensive prowess, highlighted by a particularly impressive sliced backhand winner off a Kalinskaya volley. She also consistently threatened Kalinskaya’s serve, with her opponent winning only 46% of her first-serve points.
“It wasn’t the prettiest one, but it was enough for today,” Gauff said in her on-court interview, acknowledging the challenging conditions. “It was pretty windy. I was just trying to adjust — both of us were struggling with consistency on the court.”
The victory is particularly significant for Gauff as she seeks to regain her form following a recent opening-round loss to Elisabetta Cocciaretto in Doha and a quarterfinal defeat to Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open. “Just trying to find form again, which is tough,” Gauff explained in her press conference. “Obviously, Anna’s a tough opponent. She’s beaten some quality players, she beat me here a couple of years ago. I’m happy with how today went. Winning when you’re not playing your best is what I’m most proud of.”
Looking ahead, Gauff will face Elise Mertens in the next round. Mertens delivered a dominant performance in her second-round match, defeating No. 14 seed Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-2. Gauff holds a 4-0 head-to-head advantage over Mertens, including two wins on hard courts.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships continues with further second-round matches, setting the stage for a competitive tournament featuring some of the world’s top players. Scores, draws, and the order of play are available on the WTA website.
