Takeaways: Gauff reaches first Indian Wells semifinal

For the first time in her career, American Coco Gauff

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The No.3 seed, who turned 20 years old on Wednesday, needed 94 minutes to defeat the 25-year-old Yuan in their first career meeting and better her previous best showing in the California desert by at least one round. In her first two appearances at the WTA 1000 event, she reached the third round, and last year, she reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka

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In the semifinals, Gauff will face the No.9 seed and 2022 Indian Wells runner-up Maria Sakkari

View Profile of Greece. Sakkari advanced to her third straight Indian Wells semifinal after defeating Emma Navarro

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Read on for more takeaways from Gauff's win, which made her the youngest American woman to reach the semifinals at Indian Wells since Serena Williams in 2001.

Coco cools off Yuan despite service woes: World No.49 Yuan had come into the quarterfinal match a winner of her last nine matches, which included her first career Hologic WTA Tour title in Austin prior to Indian Wells, and upsets against Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen and Daria Kasatkina

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The match that ended her streak was not as straightforward as it seemed on the scoreboard, as Gauff double-faulted a season-high 17 times in 10 service games. That led to 10 break points against her -- but she faced the adversity with aplomb, saving seven. She also broke Yuan's serve five times. 

Another come-from-behind win: In her first two matches against Clara Burel

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But at that juncture, Gauff navigated through a four-deuce service game to stem the tide of Yuan's momentum, and never lost another game in the match.

"I definitely think it's one of those matches I could have lost, and I have lost before in the past," Gauff said afterwards. "I think for me the difference is that I know if one part of my game is off I have a lot of other tools I can rely on.

"Today I pretty much just relied on me just out-rallying her and being aggressive. I think a lot of break points that were saved were off of, at least in that second set, I just remember hitting a lot of forehand winners.

"I didn't let one part of my game affect the other parts, which I think I used to do. Now I'm just trying to also not be too self-critical of myself where it damages me. So I think today was one of those things just trusting my other parts of the game."

More WTA 1000 success: Gauff has now reached the semifinals or better in five of the tour's WTA 1000 events, having previously done so at Dubai, Beijing, Rome and Cincinnati -- the latter of which she won last summer. 

Gauff is only the third player to reach five WTA 1000 semifinals before turning 21, along with Caroline Wozniacki

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