Dubai Championships 2024: Gauff beats Pliskova to reach quarterfinals

The 19-year-old American had a lengthy back-and-forth with chair umpire Pierre Bacchi. Gauff complained to Bacchi that he called her serve at deuce out only after Pliskova returned it into the net.

Coco Gauff of the United States plays a forehand against Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic in their third round women’s singles match during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Coco Gauff rallied from a slow start and a second-set argument with the chair umpire to beat Karolina Pliskova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and reach the quarterfinals of the Dubai Championships on Wednesday.

The third-seeded Gauff ended Pliskova’s 11-match winning streak.

The 19-year-old American built a 4-2 lead in the second set before a lengthy back-and-forth with chair umpire Pierre Bacchi. Gauff complained to Bacchi that he called her serve at deuce out only after Pliskova returned it into the net.

Gauff had to repeat her first serve and went on to hold for a 5-2 lead.

The U.S. Open champion said the argument “fuelled” her.

“It definitely gave me some adrenaline,” said Gauff, who eventually composed herself and won the replayed point. “Luckily I was able to overcome that pretty quickly. I’m glad I was able to reset.

“It’s just one point. It happens in tennis. Players make mistakes, everybody makes mistakes.

“I was trying to tell myself to stay calm the next point. Sometimes I get angry and I go for too much. I was trying to let that not be the turning point for the set.

“Maybe I dragged it out a little longer than I needed to, but I did what I felt was best in that moment.”

Gauff will next face Anna Kalinskaya after the Russian beat ninth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-5.

- with inputs from Reuters