Miami, March 25 (IANS) Coco Gauff produced a gritty comeback performance to book her maiden semifinal berth at the Miami Open, overcoming Belinda Bencic in a hard-fought three-set contest.

The American recovered from a dip in momentum and a break deficit in the deciding set to secure a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory in a match that lasted two hours and 15 minutes.

Gauff began the encounter in dominant fashion, asserting control early with an aggressive approach. She broke serve in the opening stages and displayed sharp instincts at the net, winning all eight of her net points in the first set. Backed by strong serving and precise shot-making, she wrapped up the opener comfortably in 51 minutes.

Bencic, however, responded emphatically in the second set. The Swiss player significantly reduced her errors and found her rhythm, dictating rallies more effectively. Her improved consistency allowed her to level the match quickly, taking the second set in under 30 minutes.

The final set proved to be a tense affair, with momentum swinging between the two players. Gauff faced a crucial moment while serving, fending off a break point to stay in contention. Despite a brief lapse and visible frustration over missed opportunities, she used the moment as a turning point.

Regaining composure, Gauff broke back to level at 3-3 and began to reassert control. With renewed confidence, she capitalised on key opportunities, delivering strong serves and mixing in clever shot selection, including a decisive drop shot. She held her nerve while serving for the match to complete the comeback.

The victory sends Gauff into the Miami semifinals for the first time in her career, where she is set to face Karolina Muchova. The American holds a dominant head-to-head record against the Czech, having won all five of their previous meetings, four of which were decided in straight sets.

In the other quarterfinal, Muchova continued her impressive run of form with a straight-sets win. The Czech edged past her opponent 7-5, 7-6(5), saving a set point in the second set during the one-hour, 47-minute contest.

The result extends Muchova’s strong 2026 season record to 18-3 and marks her ninth semifinal appearance at the WTA 1000 level or higher. It is also the third season in her career in which she has reached multiple semifinals at this level, underlining her consistency on the tour.

–IANS

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