Gauff crashes out of Miami Open with shock loss to Linette
MIAMI: Coco Gauff’s Miami Open campaign came to an unexpected end on Monday as the third seed fell 6-4, 6-4 to unseeded Magda Linette in the fourth round. The American struggled with her serve, hitting 12 double faults and landing only 50% of her first serves, allowing Linette to take control of the match.
Despite the support of the South Florida crowd, Gauff was unable to maintain momentum after briefly leading 4-3 in the second set. Linette held her nerve to claim her first win over a top-three player since 2021. “It was really important for me to keep pressing Coco’s serve to make sure she feels the pressure,” the Polish world No. 34 said after the match.
It was a tough day for American players overall, as defending champion Danielle Collins, Amanda Anisimova, and Ashlyn Krueger also exited in straight sets. Collins was outclassed by top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who fired 23 winners in a 6-4, 6-4 victory to set up a quarter-final clash with Zheng Qinwen.
Meanwhile, Italian sixth seed Jasmine Paolini battled past Naomi Osaka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to book her spot in the last eight, while former champion Iga Swiatek overcame Elina Svitolina 7-6(5), 6-3 in a late-night match. Swiatek signed off in style, writing “time to sleep” on a camera lens after securing her win.
