INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Coco Gauff suffered a left arm injury during her third-round match against Alex Ella at the BNP Paribas Open, the second injury in her career.
Gauff received treatment while trailing 5-2 near the end of the first set. A trainer massaged her left shoulder and forearm; during breaks between sets, they applied a compression bandage to Goff’s left forearm.
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Gauff had already lost the first set by this point, and when Ella broke in the second game of the second set, Gauff went to the net.
Ella didn’t notice at first, as the American leaned against the net, before her opponent turned and stepped forward to hug her. Ella began her on-court interview by thanking all the women who have paved the way for tennis on International Women’s Day and thanking Gauff for his place in the sport.
The only time Gauff retired from a match was at the 2022 Cincinnati Open against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic.
Her left arm injury was particularly problematic against Ella because Gauff’s strongest shot, her two-handed backhand, allowed her to dominate left-handers. Amid Team USA’s forehand consistency issues, her backhand has been solid. Against Ella and other southpaws, Gauff can counter their forehands with her backhand.
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She can also turn her forehand along the baseline into her opponent’s forehand to establish a pull pattern; her forehand is her most consistent shot, especially when she’s using strong topspin or slices.
That’s how she got off to a fast start against Ella, but persistent double faults put her in trouble. Gauff hit the ball aggressively on both his first and second serves, especially accelerating on the latter. But her point of contact and racquet path didn’t give her the topspin she needed to keep the ball in the tee box, and most of her double faults sailed far away at over 100 mph.
Ella, who reached the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time, adjusted well in the first set, asking Gauff to hit a forehand crosscourt and hitting small shots when Gauff tried to change patterns through the line.
Ella, the 31st seed, will face Linda Noskova, the 14th seed, in her next match. Gauff needs to evaluate her injury before the Miami Open, the other WTA 1000 event after Indian Wells.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Tennis, women’s tennis
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