No.23 seed Caroline Garcia of France moved into the Miami Open quarterfinals for the first time in her career with a gritty 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 upset of No.3 seed and local hope Coco Gauff on Monday.

Garcia ousted southern Florida resident Gauff after 1 hour and 43 minutes of play, putting the Frenchwoman into her first quarterfinal of the 2024 season. Garcia now leads Gauff 3-2 in their head-to-head, with Garcia having won their last three meetings. 

"We had some good battles in the past, and I always try to go as much as I can with confidence and conviction in my shots," Garcia said afterwards. "To have a [previously] tied record with Coco gives me confidence that I have to go for it. [...] I tried to take as much time away as I can against her."

Top 10 tally: Monday marked Garcia's first win over a Top 10 player since the end of 2022, when she notched four Top 10 wins en route to the title at the 2022 WTA Finals (including a round-robin victory over Gauff). Since that triumph, Garcia had lost her next seven matches against Top 10 players.

However, former World No.4 Garcia has put together another hot streak in Miami, and she has now tallied a total of 25 Top 10 wins in her career.

Before ousting reigning US Open champion Gauff, Garcia beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka for the second time this year in the previous round.

"It's definitely a great match and great win for me," Garcia said after beating Gauff. "Last couple of months have not been easy, and definitely today, following the match of yesterday, it means a lot. It was some great tennis."

Garcia is the first French woman to make the Miami quarterfinals since former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli made the second of her two Miami semifinals back in 2012. No French woman has ever made the Miami Open final.

Key moments: Garcia, who ranks No.3 in total aces this year (trailing only Karolina Pliskova and Elena Rybakina), was stellar on serve in the opening set, where she won 85 percent of her first-service points and never faced a break point.

But World No.3 Gauff charged back in the second set, racing to a 5-0 lead before leveling the match at a set apiece. In the second set, Gauff fired eight winners while Garcia hit only one.

A major turning point came early in the third set, where Garcia fended off four break points in the opening game. Spurred on by winning that tussle, Garcia ramped up her game and broke Gauff at love to take a crucial 2-0 lead.

Garcia did not face another break point as she again commanded the court, prevailing on five of her six second-service points in the set to keep herself in front.

Garcia surprisingly hit only one ace on Monday, but it was to complete a love hold for 5-2 in the final set. In the next game, she broke Gauff for the third time to emerge victorious.

Collins awaits: In her next match, Garcia will face a player she has never defeated. She will take on another American, former Top 10 player Danielle Collins, for a spot in the semifinals.

- Insights from
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caroline garcia

FRA
More Head to Head

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- Matches Played

100% Win 5

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danielle collins

USA

Collins, the 2022 Australian Open runner-up, defeated No.19 seed Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-2 on Monday to reach her third career Miami Open quarterfinal. Collins was a Miami semifinalist in her 2018 tournament debut as a qualifier, and she also made the 2022 quarterfinals.

Highlights: Collins def. Cirstea

Currently ranked No.53, former NCAA champion Collins needed 1 hour and 29 minutes to dismiss Romania's Cirstea, who was a Miami Open semifinalist just last year. Collins erased all three of the break points she faced on Monday.

Collins has dominated her head-to-head with Garcia. The American has won all three of their previous meetings in straight sets, most recently at San Diego last year.