Coco Gauff falls to Aryna Sabalenka in Miami Open championship match

MIAMI GARDENS — Aryna Sabalenka said before the Miami Open finals she was happy Coco Gauff had found her best tennis in her home tournament.

 But Gauff, the Delray Beach icon, didn’t have her best March 28 despite forcing the world’s No. 1 player to a third set.

Before a sell-out, pro-Coco crowd of 16,830 at Hard Rock Stadium, Sabalenka captured her second straight Miami Open with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Gauff.

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Five of Gauff’s six matches went three sets so the 22-year-old played a lot of tennis in her backyard. Gauff had never went past the fourth round of her home tournament and mulled not playing it after a forearm injury in Indian Wells three weeks ago. In fact, her team wanted her to skip the event.

On a 79-degree afternoon, Gauff fought back to force a third set but couldn’t maintain the momentum she got from the deafening crowd support rooting madly for the South Floridian superstar.

Gauff’s off-and-on serve created 7 double faults while Sabalenka registered none.

“It’s crazy to be able to talk in a stadium I’ve been to a lot of Dolphins games,’’ Gauff said during the trophy ceremony. “You’re a great fighter and you’ve pushed me to be a better player.’’

Gauff was ahead 5-4 in the second set at 30-30 played her best tennis of the afternoon, In breaking Sabalenka for the second set. Gauff wore down Sabalenka in a long rally to bring up a set point, then crushed a service-return winner with her forehand. But there wasn’t enough of those moments.

“It sucks not to come out with a better result but I had a lot of joy this week,’’ Gauff said. “You guys (crowd) brought energy every day this week.’’

Coco was looking for her 12th over title and she had never lost a hardcourt final before Saturday.

Kai Trump, President Donald Trump’s granddaughter and a golfer at the University of Miami, attended the match. She posted March 27 on social media a photo with Sabalenka at the Miami Open. It  was the same day her mother’s boyfriend, Tiger Woods, was arrested and charged with DUI after a rollover auto accident in Jupiter Island.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Aryna Sabalenka defeats Coco Gauff in Miami Open championship match