Gauff blazes past Kenin at Miami Open in 20-year first

World No.3 Coco Gauff thrashed Sofia Kenin to get her Miami Open campaign underway on Friday morning (AEDT), double bagelling the 2020 Australian Open champion in just 47 minutes.

Gauff came into the match as a strong favourite at $1.31 across tennis betting sites, with Kenin paying long odds of $3.55.

Few expected the result to be this one-sided, however, with Kenin becoming the first Grand Slam champion in 20 years to lose 6-0, 6-0.

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It is the second time in Gauff’s career that she has beaten an opponent without dropping a game, having also held Arantxa Rus scoreless last year.

“I [was] just relaxing and enjoying,” Gauff said. 

“We played multiple times. I’ve lost to her before. 

“Today I just came in here, I have my family in the crowd, it allowed me to be a bit relaxed. 

“That first game of the second set I was kind of, not nervous, but a little tight because I wanted to keep that momentum going.

“I tried my best to keep it short but I didn’t expect it to be that quick. I know it was hot.”

Despite winning the WTA Finals to close out the 2024 tennis season, Gauff has had a challenging start to 2025.

The 21-year-old lost in the Australian Open quarter-finals, went winless across February with two first-round losses in the Middle Eastern swing, and was upset by world No.58 Belinda Bencic in her third match at the Indian Wells Open.

Having come into the Miami Open as a $13 title chance with BetOnline, Gauff believes her win over Kenin is a confirmation of the form she has felt off-court.

“The last few weeks, I feel like sometimes I play and things that normally do well I haven’t been doing so well,” she said.

“But I’ve been doing it well in practice, so I have trust that it will come good in a tournament.”

Gauff takes on the winner of Lucia Bronzetti and Maria Sakkari next, with betting apps likely to set her as a heavy favourite regardless of who she faces in the third round.

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