February 18, (THEWILL) – World number three Coco Gauff experienced an unexpected defeat in the Dubai WTA 1000 tournament second round, falling to compatriot McCartney Kessler 6-4 7-5. Kessler, ranked 53rd globally, demonstrated exceptional skill throughout the match, converting three break points while defending against five of six break attempts from her higher-ranked opponent.
The victory marks a significant milestone for Kessler, who enters the third round of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career. The 25-year-old American continues her strong momentum, building upon recent tournament wins in Cleveland during August 2024 and Hobart in January 2025. Her next challenge will come against either 14th seed Karolina Muchova or former US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
Top seeds maintained their positions in the tournament, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka returning to winning form following her Australian Open semi-final exit. Sabalenka dominated her match against qualifier Veronika Kudermetova, winning 6-3 6-4. Second-ranked Iga Swiatek continued her impressive form with a commanding 6-0 6-2 victory over Victoria Azarenka.
The tournament witnessed additional drama when defending champion Jasmine Paolini’s match encountered a four-hour rain delay. The fourth-ranked Italian eventually completed her victory over German qualifier Eva Lys, prevailing 6-2 7-5 after returning to court to win the final point.
For Gauff, this defeat follows a strong start to 2025, which included contributing to the United States’ United Cup victory and reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals. However, the young American has now experienced consecutive early exits, following her second-round loss to Marta Kostyuk at the Doha WTA 1000 event last week.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
