Coco Gauff battled past Mirra Andreeva on Tuesday, securing a third consecutive semi-final berth at the Italian Open.
Both players performed admirably in the Foro Italico, but it was Gauff who emerged victorious after two hours and 18 minutes.
It was a fantastic performance by Gauff, who survived a late fightback from her opponent to advance in three sets.
Gauff offered her thoughts on the match in the immediate aftermath of her 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory, describing Andreeva as a ‘great player.’
Was Coco Gauff vs Mirra Andreeva the best women’s match of the year so far?
An instant classic in Rome!
Later in the evening, Gauff offered a more detailed analysis of her own performance in Rome, before previewing her next match.
Coco Gauff gives herself a B+
“I thought I played pretty well today,” Gauff told Tennis Channel host Prakash Amritraj in the Italian capital.
“In some moments I maybe was a bit passive when I had the lead, but also she was giving me some unforced errors and then they started landing, which is normal.
“I have been in that position where you are down 5-1 or 5-2 and then you are like whatever, and all of a sudden you win a couple of points and it’s 5-4 and you’re like I have a chance!
“I think, for me, I played way better than I did in my last match, even though the result was the same, but I felt a lot better on the court today. So maybe a B+.”
Gauff’s serving performance was particularly impressive on Tuesday, especially when taking into account the recent struggles she has endured with the shot.
The 22-year-old landed 72 per cent of her first serves, winning 61.2 per cent of those points.
Do you think Coco Gauff will win a Grand Slam title this year?
For comparison, Andreeva made 62.5 per cent of her first serves and won only 52.3 per cent of those attempts.
Gauff also served two aces and hit only four double faults during the three-set contest.
However, Gauff will hope to improve her performance on second-serve when she plays her semi-finals match. The American won just 38.5 per cent of her second-serve points.
| Statistic | Gauff | Andreeva |
| Aces | 2 | 3 |
| Double faults | 4 | 6 |
| First-serve % | 72 | 62.5 |
| First-serve points won % | 61.2 | 52.3 |
| Second-serve points won % | 38.5 | 48.7 |
Coco Gauff previews Sorana Cirstea match
Gauff is set to play Sorana Cirstea in the Italian Open semi-finals after the Romanian defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko on Tuesday.
Cirstea, 36, is set to retire at the end of this year, despite enjoying quite possibly her most successful year on the Tour to date.
“She is a great player and obviously it’s her last season,” Gauff said of Cirstea while speaking on the Tennis Channel.
“So she is definitely playing with nothing to lose more so than ever.
“I am going to go out there and expect another tough battle. I will be ready for it and hopefully I can get through to the final.”
Gauff has won all three of her previous matches against Cirstea, last defeating the 36-year-old at the 2026 Madrid Open in April.
Gauff fought from a set down in their round of 32 contest, winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.
