MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — South Florida native and tennis star Coco Gauff is proving once again she’s tough to bet against.

Despite dealing with nagging injuries, Gauff powered her way into the quarterfinals of the Miami Open with a strong performance Tuesday night.

Gauff split the first two sets before taking control in the decider against Belinda Bencic, using sharp shot-making and steady play to pull away. She sealed the victory with a well-placed final point to close out the match.

The 22-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 4 battled through a tight, back-and-forth match, bouncing back after dropping a break of serve in the third set by winning four straight games to secure a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Bencic in two hours and 15 minutes.

With the win, Gauff becomes the youngest American to reach the women’s singles semifinals at the tournament since Serena Williams did so in 2004 — the year Gauff was born.

If she advances to the final, Gauff would move ahead of Iga Swiatek and climb to No. 3 in the WTA rankings next week.

The win moves Gauff one step closer in her home-state tournament, as she continues her run in Miami.

Click here to view the Miami Open tournament bracket.

Gauff cruises into Miami Open semifinals with win over Bencic

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Ryan Mackey