No.3 seed Coco Gauff had to come from behind on Sunday to reach the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinals, earning a gritty 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win over new mom Belinda Bencic on Rod Laver Arena.

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Gauff lost a set for the first time this season in her Round-of-16 clash with 2021 Olympic gold medalist Bencic of Switzerland. But the American recovered to execute a 2-hour and 26-minute comeback and improve her 2025 win-loss record to 9-0.

Gauff also began last year 9-0, and she is the first woman to post back-to-back 9-0 starts to a season since Victoria Azarenka in 2012-2013. The 20-year-old Gauff is also the youngest woman to pull off that feat since Monica Seles in 1992-1993.

No.11 seed Paula Badosa will be Gauff's quarterfinal opponent. Badosa of Spain topped Olga Danilovic of Serbia 6-1, 7-6(2) in their fourth-round match on Sunday. Gauff and Badosa's head-to-head is tied at three wins apiece, although Gauff won their two meetings last year.

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Slam successes continue: 2023 US Open champion Gauff extends her legacy of success at the major events, moving into her eighth career Grand Slam quarterfinal. 

So far this century, only Maria Sharapova (12), Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters (nine each) have made more women's singles Grand Slam quarterfinals than Gauff before the age of 21.

Gauff is now a win away from making her second straight Australian Open semifinal, having lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final four last year.

Back-and-forth affair: Having said that, Gauff had to use all of her grit to fend off Bencic, who was playing in her first Grand Slam event since giving birth to her first child, daughter Bella, last April.

Gauff dropped only three points on serve through 4-3, but Bencic crept inside the baseline on second-serve returns and broke the American twice in succession to upend the first set.

Consecutive double faults by Gauff handed the Swiss player a 6-5 lead, and former World No.4 Bencic clinched the one-set lead after an hour of play.

But after the loss of that set, Gauff reclaimed the top-notch form that has given her a 22-2 win-loss record since last year's US Open. Gauff grabbed hold of the contest in the second set, where she didn't face a break point and had 17 winners to Bencic's two.

Gauff did not let up in the second set as she rolled to a 2-1 head-to-head lead over Bencic. Gauff now holds a 16-6 record in deciding sets at Grand Slam events, winning eight of her past 10 such matches.

Badosa's best Melbourne showing: On Margaret Court Arena, Badosa also had to fight to clinch a spot in her first Australian Open quarterfinal. World No.55 Danilovic led 5-2 in the second set before Badosa stormed back and raced through the tiebreak.

"The second set was a little bit tricky because I think I was 5-2 down, but it wasn't like a real 5-2 because I was playing well," Badosa said. "It was like small points there. I think I changed the momentum and I finished playing great again."

Badosa had solid first serves in the fourth-round showdown, slamming seven aces and winning 82 percent of points when she got her first delivery into play. 

Last year's WTA Comeback Player of the Year, Badosa has reached the quarterfinals of the last two Slams. Despite peaking at World No.2 in 2022, Badosa had only reached one other Grand Slam quarterfinal in her career (2021 Roland Garros).

Now, Badosa is blazing a trail for Spain. She is the first Spanish woman to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals since Garbiñe Muguruza made the 2020 final. Badosa is also the first Spanish woman to make quarterfinals at consecutive Slams since Muguruza in 2015.

More to come...