In an electrifying all-American showdown at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, No. 3 seed Coco Gauff showcased her resilience and determination to outlast Sachia Vickery in a grueling three-set battle. Gauff clinched victory with a scoreline of 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, overcoming a spirited challenge from her compatriot.
Despite facing a 4-2 deficit in the decisive third set, Gauff rallied back with characteristic tenacity to secure the win. The match was not without its challenges, as Gauff grappled with 15 double faults throughout the encounter. Nonetheless, her ability to dig deep and overcome adversity underscores her growing stature in the tennis world.
Gauff’s dominance against fellow Americans remains evident, with Jessica Pegula being the sole countrywoman to have defeated her since Sofia Kenin’s victory at Wimbledon in 2023. The young American’s stellar performance at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix further solidifies her reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Meanwhile, second-seeded Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought battle against Paula Badosa of Spain. Badosa retired due to a left thigh injury with the match tied at 7-6 (4), 4-6, 3-3, allowing Sabalenka to progress in the tournament.
In other matches, seventh seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu, Russian Anastasia Potapova, and Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk emerged victorious in their first-round encounters, showcasing their prowess on the Stuttgart courts.
In Rouen, France, fifth-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva and No. 6 seed Sloane Stephens of the United States navigated potential upsets to secure quarterfinal berths. Andreeva defeated countrywoman Elina Avanesyan 7-5, 6-4, while Stephens ousted the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Italian Martina Trevisan displayed her skill with a solid 6-4, 6-2 win over Japan’s Naomi Osaka, while Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, Poland’s Magda Linette, and Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania also advanced in straight sets.
The day’s action culminated in a hard-fought three-set battle between France’s Varvara Gracheva and Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, with Gracheva emerging victorious with a scoreline of 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in the lone match that saw a third set.
