Coco Gauff saved match points to beat Elise Mertens, 2-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-3, booking her place in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The American was far from her best, producing another sub-par serving display in Dubai.
She looked to be on her way out, but saved match points brilliantly before winning the decider to advance.
Mertens and Gauff played for two hours and 18 minutes, much to the frustration of those in attendance.
Many of whom were waiting to see their favorite, Alexandra Eala, play Sorana Cirstea in the final match of the day.
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Recognising that she’d made them wait, Gauff apologised to Eala’s fans during her post-match interview.
Coco Gauff issues an apology to Alexandra Eala’s fans
“I know you guys are probably here for Alex [Eala], so I’m sorry to make you wait!” said Gauff.
“But if I’m not mistaken, I think some of you guys were cheering for me, so I appreciate it a lot.
“I hope you guys enjoy the next match, but thank you for cheering for me for now!
“The whole match, it wasn’t going my way. But I tried to stay in it. I fought for every point. I’m happy today that I was able to get the result, and I heard some cheers for me.
“There is an American flag over there!
“So I appreciate all the cheers; you kept me going, and thanks for the support.”
Gauff was also asked if she planned to stay on court to watch Eala and Cirstea’s third-round match.
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“Probably not because it’s 10:30 at night, so I have to eat and sleep,” she admitted.
“But I will watch it on TV!”
The two-time Grand Slam champion also took time to reflect on the match itself, where she picked up her fifth win over Mertens.
“I think out of the five times, I feel we went three sets in three of the four matches,” said Gauff.
Coco Gauff and Elise Mertens’ head-to-head record (5-0)
- 2026 Dubai 3R – Coco Gauff bt. Elise Mertens, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3
- 2024 Indian Wells 4R – Coco Gauff bt. Elise Mertens, 6-0, 6-2
- 2023 US Open 3R – Coco Gauff bt. Elise Mertens, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
- 2022 French Open 4R – Coco Gauff bt. Elise Mertens, 6-4, 6-0
- 2021 Eastbourne 1R – Coco Gauff bt. Elise Mertens, 0-6, 7-6, 7-5
“I knew it would be a tough match today, Elise [Mertens] is a great player.
“I had to stay settled. I knew that I could win, it was just if I could find my game.
Coco Gauff vs Elise Mertens – Match stats
| Stat | Coco Gauff | Elise Mertens |
| Aces | 1 | 3 |
| Double faults | 16 | 6 |
| Points won on serve | 51% | 53% |
| Winners | 20 | 23 |
| Unforced errors | 63 | 47 |
| Break points | 7/10 | 7/13 |
| Total points won | 96 | 101 |
“A little bit I did at times, but sometimes I didn’t.”
Gauff has been far from convincing so far in Dubai, but she’s winning matches, and in reality, that’s all that matters.
She may, however, need to pick things up if she wants to win her quarterfinal match.
Alex Eala vs Coco Gauff dream match could happen in Dubai
If Eala beats Cirstea, and it’s a big if… she’ll set up a dream match against Gauff in the quarterfinals.
The American and Filipina have yet to meet on the WTA Tour, although they did play doubles together last year.
Gauff and Eala won two matches together at the 2025 Italian Open before losing to the eventual champions, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.
Fans would love to see Gauff and Eala face off on opposite sides of the net.
But Eala faces a tricky test in the third round against the in-form Cirstea.
Cirstea beat another WTA fan favorite, Emma Raducanu, to win the Transylvania Open recently.
Only time will tell if Eala can beat Cirstea to set up a quarterfinal blockbuster with Gauff, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
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