Coco Gauff has stated that the defeat she suffered against Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open was a result of her poor showing.
The American was beaten 6-4 6-0 by the 2023 Australian Open champion in 64 minutes of play in the California desert.
She was no match for the Belarusian who produced a relentless series of crosscourt and down-the-line drives to control the match as she cruised to victory.
Assessing her performance against second seed Sabalenka who she led 3-1 on head-to-head prior to the match, Gauff blamed herself for giving away "free points" and "not hitting the ball as deep" as she needed to.
“The first set I think was a high-quality set from both of us,” said the sixth seed.
“The second set I think it was a combination of her, you know.
"She didn’t give me any free points and I think I was also giving away free points and not hitting the ball as deep as I need to.
"Especially when you’re playing her, you’ve got to get the ball deep.”
Sabalenka will next face either two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or last year's Indian Wells runner-up Maria Sakkari of Greece for a place in the tournament final.
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