Magda Linette hits to Jessica Pegula during the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 7, 2025. Unseeded Magda Linette of Poland added to World No. 3 Coco Gauff’s recent struggles, pulling off a 6-4, 6-4 upset on Monday to reach the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
Ranked No. 34, the 33-year-old Linette earned her first win over a top-three player since 2021, rallying in the second set after Gauff pulled ahead 4-3.
“I think it was really important for me to keep pressing Coco’s serve to make sure she feels the pressure,” Linette said. “I’m glad that I was returning well. I was really brave. Then I was able to back it up with pretty solid service games.”
Gauff committed 12 double-faults and was broken four times by Linette, who was only broken twice. Gauff only put about half of her first serves in play and committed 45 unforced errors.
“It wasn’t great today,” Gauff said. “It hasn’t been the last few weeks — I’m trying to figure that out. Definitely not happy about it. … Just one of those days when I felt awful in everything on the court.”
Gauff started strong in 2025, but came up empty on the WTA’s Middle East swing and lost to unseeded Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells.
Linette will face No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy, who rallied past Japan’s Naomi Osaka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, saving 12 of 15 break points while converting three of five.
Gauff wasn’t the only upset victim Monday as Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu took down No. 17 seed Amanda Anisimova 6-1, 6-3.
Raducanu produced a solid first-serve percentage (78 percent) on her first serve and collected 24 of 31 points on her first serve, while converting 5 of 10 break points.
Next up for Raducanu will be World No. 4 Jessica Pegula, who had no trouble with No. 23 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, in 77 minutes.
“I know it’s going to be a really difficult match but I think I’m playing pretty good tennis,” Raducanu told the Tennis Channel. “I’m really happy with the way things are going and more importantly just enjoying finding the competitive spirit again.”
Along with Gauff and Anisimova, another pair of Americans – No. 14 seed Danielle Collins and unseeded Ashlyn Krueger – were sent packing in straight sets.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus posted a 6-4, 6-4 win over Collins, while No. 9 seed Qinwen Zheng took down Krueger 6-2, 7-6 (3). Sabalenka and Zheng will face off in the quarterfinals.
A day after upsetting Madison Keys, unseeded Alex Eala of the Philippines moved into the quarterfinals when No. 10 seed Paula Badosa of Spain pulled out with a lower back injury.
Eala awaits the winner of Monday night’s match between No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek and No. 22 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
–Field Level Media
