After losing the opening set 3-6, Gauff finally found her rhythm and rallied to dominate the final two sets, winning 6-0, 6-1 for a remarkable turnaround.
The match was her second since limping off court in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open two weeks ago.
“It was really difficult,” the 22-year-old said after her win.
“She was playing really well and she’s one of those people who’s hit or miss sometimes. So, you’re stuck in the fine line of being aggressive but also maybe just making her play. And I think I got too stuck on the other end of it. And then the second and third, I just tried to be aggressive when I could. I made some adjustments on the return and I think that made a difference.”
Gauff believed it was her serve that made the difference in the end. The former world number one has had a problem with double faults, recording 112 this season, the worst on the WTA Tour.
“I think for me it was honestly just staying on my serve,” she continued.
“I felt like obviously I was able to get a bunch of breaks later on. But for me the start of the first, that long game, I mean, second, that long game was important. And I needed to pull my serve. I didn’t, I mean, I got lucky because I did get a lot of breaks. But, honestly, I wasn’t expecting that. I just knew I had to hold my serve and maybe put some pressure on her serve. And I would get some breaks.”
Gauff will face Romanian star Sorana Cristea in the Round of 16 on Monday.
