TORONTO: Coco Gauff survived 15 double-faults on Thursday to squeeze out a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) win over Aryna Sabalenka to reach the WTA Toronto Masters quarter-finals.
The American teenager contributed just under half of the miscues in the error-strewn affair, with her opponent accounting for 18 additional doubles.
Tenth seed Gauff, who reached her first Grand Slam final at the French Open this year, and number six Sabalenka battled for three and a quarter hours in their third-round marathon.
Gauff finished with nine aces and saved 10 of 14 break points that she faced.
Victory for the 18-year-old came a day after she beat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the third round in a match that took two and three-quarter hours.
Gauff will face off on Friday against two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep after the former number one from Romania defeated Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann 6-2, 7-5 in 91 minutes.