MIAMI – The Miami Open witnessed the departure of two former Grand Slam champions, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, from the second quarter of the draw on Monday.
This sets up a quarterfinal match on Tuesday between No. 6 seed Jasmine Paolini and unseeded Magda Linette.
Linette defeated No. 3 seed Gauff in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. This victory marks Linette`s highest-ranked win against an opponent at a Hologic WTA Tour event, surpassing World No. 3 Gauff.
Gauff admitted to a subpar performance, stating, “It wasn’t great today… It hasn’t been the last few weeks — I’m trying to figure that out. Definitely not happy about it… Just one of those days when I felt awful in everything on the court.”
Earlier, Paolini rallied from a set down to overcome Osaka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. This win breaks Paolini`s streak of losses in WTA Tour Round-of-16 matches this year.
Key takeaways from the matches:
Paolini Regains Momentum: Known for her consistency in the 2024 season, Paolini reached the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Despite the increased challenges and reduced surprise factor this season, she is showing signs of returning to form.
This marks Paolini`s first streak of three consecutive wins this year. She improves to a 3-8 record against former WTA No. 1 ranked players, with previous wins against Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova in 2024. This was also her first victory against a former Grand Slam champion in her last five attempts.
Paolini expressed her relief at reaching her first quarterfinal of 2025, stating, “Finally… I’m really happy about it and it gives me confidence as well. It was a good-quality match. I think her level today was really high.”
Paolini impressively saved 12 of 15 break points and converted three of five on Osaka`s serve.
Linette`s Resurgence: Linette, at 33, achieved a significant victory, her first Top 10 win since defeating Paolini in Beijing last year. She entered the match with a 5-28 record against Top 10 opponents.
Linette capitalized on Gauff`s 12 double faults, breaking her serve four times while only being broken twice herself.
Linette mentioned that observing Gauff`s matches on major courts provided an advantage, allowing her to recognize when Gauff was having an off day. She emphasized the importance of pressuring Gauff`s serve and praised her own brave returns and solid service games.
Linette becomes the second-oldest player since 2009 to secure a first WTA 1000 win over a Top 5 opponent, and the third-oldest woman this century to reach her first Miami Open quarterfinal.
This Miami quarterfinal is Linette`s second career WTA 1000 quarterfinal, with her first being at Wuhan last year where she lost to Gauff.
Upcoming Match: Paolini vs. Linette: Linette holds a 2-1 head-to-head lead over Paolini. Paolini won their Paris Olympics match, while Linette won their Beijing match.
Paolini acknowledged Linette`s consistency and completeness as a player, stating she needs to be aggressive, minimize errors, and maintain her movement from today`s match. Linette recalled their Beijing match and anticipates a quick court in Miami, emphasizing the need to adjust and maintain her level of steadiness and discipline.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth