Coco Gauff races through to BNP Paribas Open semifinals with straight-sets win over China’s Yue Yuan… sealing her best EVER run at Indian Wells

Coco Gauff will compete in her first semifinal in the BNP Paribas Open after defeating China’s Yue Yuan, 6-4, 6-3, in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Gauff, who turned 20 on Wednesday, needed 94 minutes to defeat her 25-year-old counterpart in their first career meeting. With her semifinal slot secured, Gauff improved from her previous best showing at Indian Wells.

In her first two appearances at the WTA 1000 event, the American sensation reached the third round and fell in the quarterfinals last year to eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka.

Furthermore, her quarterfinal win saw Gauff make her third win after trailing in the tournament. In her previous matches against Clara Burel and Lucia Bronzetti, Gauff overcame deficits on her way to victory.

After winning the first set against Yuan, Gauff trailed 3-1 in the second – facing three break points in a crucial fifth game that would have put her down 4-1. Gauff, however, managed to win from a four-deuce service game to keep Yuan at bay.

Gauff secured the win in two sets and broke Yuan’s nine-match win streak in the process 

The win made Gauff the third player to reach five WTA 1000 semifinals before turning 21

With the win, Gauff also snapped Yuan’s nine-match win streak.

The No. 49 ranked Yuan entered the tournament after her first career Hologic WTA Tour title in Austin and upset victories over Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen and Daria Kasatkina.

Gauff holds the No. 3 seed and will face the winner of Friday’s match between No. 9 seed Maria Sakkari and No. 24 seed Emma Navarro. Hailing from Greece, Sakkari was the runner-up at Indian Wells in 2022.

Thursday’s win also means Gauff has reached the semifinals, or better, in five of the tour’s WTA 1000 events. Her previous appearances were in Dubai, Beijing, Rome, and her win in Cincinnati last summer.

Gauff is now the third player to reach five WTA 1000 semifinals before turning 21 since the format was introduced in 2009. She joins Caroline Wozniacki and Iga Swiatek, who made eight and five appearances, respectively.