MIAMI — The Miami Open witnessed the exit of two former Grand Slam champions, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, in the Round of 16. This set the stage for a quarterfinal clash between No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini and Magda Linette.
Linette secured a victory over No. 3 seed Gauff with a score of 6-4, 6-4. This win marks Linette`s highest-ranked opponent defeated at a WTA Tour event, surpassing World No. 3 Gauff.
Gauff expressed her disappointment after the match, stating, “It wasn’t great today, and it hasn’t been for the past few weeks. I`m trying to understand why. I`m definitely not happy about it. It was just one of those days where I felt off in every aspect of my game on the court.”
Earlier in the day, Paolini fought back to win against Osaka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. This victory broke Paolini`s streak of losses in Round-of-16 matches at WTA Tour events this year.
Here are key points from the matches:
Paolini Regains Momentum: Known for her consistency in the 2024 season, which saw her reach the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Paolini faced a tougher start to this season. She acknowledges that her previous success means she no longer has the element of surprise.
This Miami Open marks the first time this year Paolini has achieved three consecutive wins. She also improved her record against former WTA No. 1 players to 3-8, adding to her 2024 wins against Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova. It was also her first victory against a former Grand Slam champion in her last five attempts.
Paolini was relieved to overcome her previous losses in WTA 1000 Round-of-16 matches, stating, “Finally! I’m really happy about it, and it boosts my confidence. It was a high-quality match. I felt her level was very high today.”
Paolini demonstrated resilience by saving 12 out of 15 break points and converting three out of five on her own serve.
Linette`s Strong Performance: The 33-year-old Linette achieved a significant win, her first Top 10 victory since defeating Paolini in Beijing last year. Prior to this, her record against Top 10 players was 5-28.
Linette capitalized on Gauff`s 12 double faults, breaking her serve four times while managing to hold her own serve effectively, only being broken twice.
Linette mentioned that watching Gauff`s matches frequently helped her identify weaknesses. “Because she’s often playing on the main courts, everyone gets to see her matches, so you can sometimes tell when she’s having an off day,” Linette explained.
“I think it was crucial for me to keep pressure on Coco’s serve to make her feel challenged,” Linette added. “I’m happy with my return game. I played bravely and backed it up with solid service games.”
Linette`s achievement makes her the second-oldest player since 2009 to secure a first WTA 1000 win against a Top 5 opponent, following Hsieh Su-wei. She is also the third-oldest woman this century to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals for the first time.
This Miami quarterfinal is Linette`s second at the WTA 1000 level, her first being in Wuhan last year where she lost to Gauff.
Upcoming Match: Paolini vs. Linette: Linette holds a 2-1 head-to-head advantage over Paolini. Their previous encounters include Paolini`s win at the Paris Olympics and Linette`s victory in Beijing.
Paolini commented on their upcoming match, “In Beijing, I wasn’t playing my best. Linette is a very consistent player – strong forehand, backhand, serve, she’s complete. I need to be aggressive, reduce errors, and move as well as I did today.”
Linette also reflected on their past match in Beijing, “Last time, we both returned serve very well, so I’m aware of that. I’ll aim to put pressure on Paolini as well. I know the court is a bit faster here, so I need to adjust. I hope to maintain the level of consistency, competitiveness, and discipline I showed today.”
Rupert Caldwell