- Coco Gauff becomes the third player to reach five WTA 1000 semi-finals before turning 21
- On her last trip to Indian Wells, Gauff lost in the quarterfinals to Aryna Sabalenka
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Coco Gauff will compete in her first BNP Paribas Open semi-final after beating China’s Yue Yuan 6-4, 6-3 in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Gauff, who turned 20 on Wednesday, needed 94 minutes to beat her 25-year-old counterpart in their first career meeting. With her semi-final slot secured, Gauff improved on her previous best performance in Indian Wells.
In her first two appearances at the WTA 1000 event, the American sensation reached the third round and fell to eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals last year.
Additionally, her quarterfinal win gave Gauff her third win after trailing in the tournament. In her previous matches against Clara Burel and Lucia Bronzetti, Gauff overcame deficits en route to victory.
After winning the first set against Yuan, Gauff trailed 3-1 in the second – facing three break points in a crucial fifth game that would have seen her beaten 4-1. However, Gauff was able to win from a four-deuce service game to keep Yuan at bay.
Coco Gauff will play in her first semi-final at Indian Wells on Thursday after beating Yuan Yue
Gauff secured the victory in straight sets, breaking Yuan’s nine-match win streak
The win made Gauff the third player to reach five WTA 1000 semi-finals before turning 21
With the win, Gauff also broke Yuan’s nine-match win streak.
The No. 49-ranked Yuan entered the tournament on the back of her first Hologic WTA Tour title in Austin and upset victories over Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen and Daria Kasatkina.
Gauff holds the No. 3 seed and will face the winner of Friday’s match between No. 9 seed Maria Sakkari and No. 24 seed Emma Navarro. Sakkari, who hails from Greece, was the runner-up at Indian Wells in 2022.
Thursday’s victory also means Gauff has reached the semi-finals, or better, in five of the tour’s WTA 1000 events. Her previous appearances have been in Dubai, Beijing, Rome and her victory last summer in Cincinnati.
Gauff is now the third player to reach five WTA 1000 semi-finals before turning 21 since the format’s introduction in 2009. She joins Caroline Wozniacki and Iga Swiatek, who made eight and five appearances respectively.