Gauff rallies from early deficit to hold off Yastremska in Madrid

MADRID -- No. 4 seed Coco Gauff didn’t win a game in the opening set but came back to defeat Dayana Yastremska 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a second-round match Thursday night at the Mutua Madrid Open.

This was only the second time in her career that Gauff has won a match after losing the first set 6-0 in WTA level events; she rebounded to defeat Elise Mertens four years ago in Eastbourne.

Gauff is now 3-0 lifetime against Yastremska -- all on clay -- but this one didn’t come easily. The decisive final set itself required more than one hour.

Breaking Yastremska twice, Gauff ran out to a 3-0 lead but two service breaks the other way made it 3-3. Gauff broke back to take a 5-3 lead, but Yastremska saved three match points on her serve and eventually leveled it at 5-all.

Gauff broke for a 6-5 lead and then served it out. Both players were broken in seven of their 14 service games.

Yastremska is now 4-19 against Top 10 players in her career.

The match took place in Manolo Santana Stadium and followed a similar storyline to an earlier match on the same court involving No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek. Trailing 19-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala by a set and a break, No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek rallied for a three-set win.

Gauff needs two more victories to reach the quarterfinals and surpass her best effort in five appearances here in Madrid. Gauff, 21, is the youngest player to win eight consecutive opening matches in clay WTA 1000 events since the format introduction in 2009.

Gauff will meet fellow American Ann Li, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 winner over No. 25 seed Leylah Fernandez, on Saturday.