What started as a rocky night turned into a gritty win and ticket to the fourth round of the U.S. Open for No. 6 Coco Gauff. 

Under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights on Friday, the American hopeful battled Elise Mertens of Belgium, the 32nd seed, for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 win, her eighth straight match victory. 

The pair previously faced off twice, most recently in the fourth round of the 2022 French Open, a match Gauff won 6-4, 6-0.

Before the rematch Friday, Gauff noted their previous meeting was “not easy” in an interview with ESPN. 

This match wasn’t easy either. 

In the first set, Gauff looked off. She was playing up at the net, which had served her well in her wins in the first and second rounds. This time, Mertens was successful at lofting the ball and landing it inbounds behind Gauff for several points. 

Gauff failed to capitalize on two attempts to break Merten’s serve on deuce in the sixth game. Shortly after that, Merten broke Gauff’s serve in the seventh game, leaving the American trailing for the remainder of the set. 

“She was playing a little bit more aggressive than the last time I played her,” said Gauff, who had 11 unforced errors in the first set. “And also I had some errors where I was not missing by a lot, it was a little bit on balls that I probably could have ended the point on. So, it was the right decision, I probably just needed to take a little bit more margin and those points add up. 

“She’s not an easy player … and she’s the type of player where she steps in if you give her something short, especially on the backhand side, so she was doing a lot well attacking on that end and even on the forehand, she was being aggressive.” 

Something sparked in Gauff in the second set as the crowd was begging for it. 

She won the second game in a six-round deuce and quickly broke Merten’s serve in the third, thanks to netted balls, double faults, and a long rally on which Gauff ran her opponent to a fault. 

The two stayed neck-and-neck again, going 3-3, until Gauff secured the set. Her familiar dominance continued into the final set. 

“The third [set], I was playing great tennis. I think the match was really physical in the first two sets even though the scoreline doesn’t show that,” Gauff said. “I was just trying to fight for every point and that’s how I was able to get through that match.” 

In the final set, a crowd of stars — including Hailey and Justin Beiber, actor Michael Imperioli, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and three-time Grand Slam doubles champion Jack Sock (Gauff’s mixed double’s partner) — witnessed an entertaining performance from the young star. 

Gauff managed another come-from-behind victory, as she had in the first round against Germany’s Laura Siegemund, instilling confidence in her game. 

“It does a lot for me. I think that could have been a match that I could have lost in the past, especially breaking her and then getting immediately broken back,” Gauff said. “But, I’m figuring out these situations and making it easier and easier as the matches go. I think she played some of her best tennis she’s played this season, especially in the first two sets.

” So, when I’m playing not my best and still able to figure out how to win these matches is good.”

On Sunday, she will face Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, who beat American Jennifer Brady in the third round on Friday afternoon. 

Wozniacki left the tour just to start a family in 2020, just as Gauff was coming onto the scene. The Danish star later spent time as a TV analyst before earning a wild card to enter into the U.S. Open main draw. 

“I never thought I would be in this position, especially after she retired and came back,” Gauff said, “but she’s still a really fit player and she looked like she was striking the ball today pretty clean, especially [when] I was watching her match [in the] last couple sets against Jenny. It’s not going to be an easy matchup. 

“It’s going to be really cool. I’m really excited, playing a legend like her is really exciting, and I’m not going to take them away for granted.”