Coco Gauff advanced to the semi-finals of the Italian Open after a hard-fought 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Mirra Andreeva on Friday.
The world number three overcame a slow start against the world number eight, dropping the first set before raising her level to dominate the second and edge a tight deciding set.
Gauff showed resilience under pressure, particularly in the latter stages of the third set, where she managed to close out the match despite a brief fightback from Andreeva.
After the match, Gauff reflected on the challenge and her mindset during the crucial moments.
“Just trying to stay here mentally again. Obviously I had a big lead in the third set and it got a little bit close,” Gauff said.
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“She’s a great player, she’s capable of winning games. I think I learned a little bit on how to close those out. I’m glad I was able to win… I don’t know how many match points it was.”
Gauff will now face Sorana Cîrstea in the semi-finals after the Romanian defeated Jeļena Ostapenko in her quarter-final clash.
The victory marks Cîrstea’s first-ever semi-final appearance at the Italian Open at the age of 36.
Looking ahead to the encounter, Gauff acknowledged the challenge that lies ahead.
“Sorana is a tough player. We played each other last tournament and it was three sets. So it’s going to be another tough match, but I’m grateful to be into the semi-finals.”
Gauff will enter the semi-final as the favourite, but with both players in strong form, a place in the final remains wide open.
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