France's top female tennis player Caroline Garcia advanced to the quarter-finals at the Miami Open on Tuesday after a see-saw battle with the third seed Coco Gauff.
Garcia took the opening set 6-3 but lost her bearings as she struggled with a shoulder injury. Gauff claimed the second set 6-1 but then the 20-year-old American unravelled in the decider.
Garcia, the 23rd seed blazed through the final set 6-2 to complete the victory in one hour and 43 minutes and register her first win over a top 10 opponent since lifting the crown at the eight-player end-of-season championships in November 2022.
"It was definitely a great match and great win for me," said Garcia who beat the former world number one Naomi Osaka in the last-32 on Sunday.
"The last couple of months have not been easy," added the 30-year-old.
"And this win, following the match against Naomi, it means a lot. And it was some great tennis."
Plan
Garcia said her strategy of playing aggressively to put pressure on Gauff had paid off.
"I try to always be that way and take some time away from the other player. And it looks like Coco doesn't really like it."
Gauff, who hails from South Florida, conceded she had been outmuscled.
"It is a tough loss," she added. "I knew coming into the match that she was going to be aggressive. I think it was really important for me to just change the height of the ball.
"I did that well for the majority of the second set. But then starting off the thirdset by losing my serve, I think just completely changed the momentum."
Shock
Gauff's departure was overshadowed by the shock elimination of the top seed Iga Swiatek.
Ekaterina Alexandrova dispatched the 22-year-old Pole 6-4, 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals in Miami for the second consecutive year.
Alexandrova, the 16th seed, unleashed 31 winners during the encounter.
"It was such a great game for me in terms of consistency, the serve, the returns and playing from the baseline," said the 29-year-old Russian.
"I think it was pretty good and I hope I can keep it up," she added.
She will next take on the fifth seed Jessica Pegula after the 30-year-old American saw off her fast-rising compatriot Emma Navarro 7-6, 6-3.
In the lower half of the draw, the fourth seed Elena Rybakina defeated Madison Keys 6-3, 7-5 to set up a quarter-final with Greece's Maria Sakkari.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka also progressed to the last eight with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Britain's Katie Boulter.
