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Coco Gauff looks ahead to ‘tough’ Belinda Bencic last 16 clash after defeating Ann Li in Madrid Open second round
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Updated 26/04/2025 at 22:47 GMT+1
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Coco Gauff is yet to go further than the last 16 of the Madrid Open, having twice been eliminated at that stage in her career so far. If she wants to get into the quarter-finals in 2025, she will need to get past Switzerland's Belinda Bencic. The American conceded that the 2020 Olympic gold medallist presents a difficult opponent, who beat Beatriz Haddad Maia in a match lasting over three hours.
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Coco Gauff expects a "tough" last 16 tie against Belinda Bencic after a 6-2 6-3 win over Ann Li at the Madrid Open.
Gauff lost the first two games of the match before swatting aside her opponent with eight consecutive games in her favour, before ultimately cruising to a straight-sets win.
The 21-year-old American is yet to get beyond the last 16 in Madrid, having been eliminated in the same stage in 2044 and 2022 already.
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Bencic defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia in a gruelling three-hour 6-3 4-6 7-6(2) win in her match.
The Olympic gold medallist poses a difficult challenge, according to Gauff.
"It will be an interesting one," she said.
"I know she hits a little bit flatter and I hit heavier, so I would like to think it favours me more. But, obviously, she beat me last time in Indian Wells [in March] and she’s always a tough opponent."
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Gauff was satisfied with her efforts, adding: "Overall, a solid performance. I was just trying to stay steady. She was throwing in some errors today.
"I felt like I didn’t have to do too much, except push her to play more defence."
Gauff will be joined in the next round by another American, Madison Keys, who defeated Anna Kalinskaya 7-5 7-6(3). Keys will play Donna Vekic, who defeated Emma Navarro 4-6 6-3 6-2.
Elsewhere, Yuliia Starodubtseva beat Liudmila Samsonova 2-6 7-6(2) 6-0. Diana Shnaider won against Anastasija Sevastova 6-0 6-0, and Maria Andreeva defeated Magdalena Frech 7-5 6-3.
Iga Swiatek continued her defence of her Madrid crown with a 6-4 6-2 win against Linda Noskova.
The first set was a tough one for the former world No. 1 as Noskova troubled her with strong ground strokes.
Swiatek broke her opponent to go 4-3 up but had to defend her own break point in the following game. Swiatek broke Noskova in the first game of the second set, which set her up for an ultimately routine win.
Swiatek will face Shnaider in the next round.
'Going to be one of the best in the world' - Draper hails Britain's Fearnley
In the men’s draw, Jack Draper continued his good form for the season, beating Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets to set up a last 32 match against Matteo Berrettini on Monday. Speaking on court after his win, he praised his fellow Britons, Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley, for their wins earlier in the day.
He said: "Cam, obviously he had an injury last year, to see him coming back is great. Jacob, someone my age, is an incredible player. The British public don't know much about him yet, but I think he's going to be one of the best players in the world.
"Obviously, Cam's been up there too, and he can do that as well. I think it's really exciting for British tennis, and good, healthy competition for us three."
Fearnley reached the last 32 as the Briton defeated Czech Tomas Machac 1-6 6-3 6-2. Bulgarian veteran Grigor Dimitrov defeated Chile's Nicolas Jarry in straight sets 6-3 6-4 to set up a clash with Fearnley on Monday.
Norrie came from a set behind to defeat Jiri Lehecka 2-6 6-4 6-0 and he will play Gabriel Diallo on Monday.
America's Frances Tiafoe enjoyed a premature win against Luciano Darderi as the Italian retired hurt with the scoreline 7-5 3-1 in Tiafoe's favour. Alexandre Muller defeated fellow Frenchman Ugo Humbert in three sets 6-3 7-6(3) 7-6(5), while Marcos Giron defeated Berrettini 7-6 (3) 6-7 (6) 6-1.
Novak Djokovic conceded it "could be" his final appearance in Madrid as a player after losing to Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-4.
You can watch every moment of the 2025 French Open live on TNT Sports and on discovery+
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