Coco Gauff’s journey at the Italian Open has continued… by the narrowest of margins.
Gauff found herself match point down midway through the second set, but rallied to claim a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory over compatriot Iva Jovic.
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Gauff will play Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals after the Russian won her own round of 16 match against Belgian player Elise Mertens.
Following her victory over Jovic, Gauff discussed the thoughts that were running through her head while match point down.
Coco Gauff ‘was almost in the locker room’ when match point down to Iva Jovic
“I mean, honestly on that match point my head was almost, like, to the locker room, to be honest,” Gauff told reporters in Rome.
“I was like, ‘well, I’m going to hear a lot about this one’ [smiling].
“Yeah, then after, I don’t know, I was able to get through it. I think she maybe dropped a little bit her level when she had the lead. It was able to help me get back into the match.
“Yeah, honestly I was thinking about my match in Dubai when I saved like five or six against [Elise] Mertens. I was like, Maybe I can do it again today.”
One reporter then asked a follow-up question: “Is being down match point something you ever do in practice, pretend, play the points out?”
Gauff replied: “No, I mean, obviously you try to emulate pressure as much as you can in practice. Nothing quite is the same as playing the match.
Do you think Coco Gauff will win a Grand Slam title this year?
“Honestly, yesterday my doubles we saved a match point, too. It was 13-11.
“I was a little bit more nervous for that than today. Maybe my doubles helped me in that aspect.”
Gauff will surely feel confident heading into her next match against Mirra Andreeva.
After all, the American has won all four of her previous matches against the Russian, last beating the 18-year-old at the same stage of the 2025 Italian Open.
However, Gauff will need to be wary of Andreeva’s excellent clay-court form.
The 18-year-old has won 15 of her 17 clay-court matches this year, losing only to Elena Rybakina and Marta Kostyuk.
The winner of Andreeva and Gauff will face Sorana Cirstea or Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals.
Cirstea, who is set to retire from her playing career at the end of this year, defeated 13th seed Linda Noskova in the round of 16.
Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, beat Anna Kalinskaya to advance to the last eight.
Coco Gauff joins conversation with Iga Swiatek and Mary Joe Fernandez
As per statisticians OptaAce, Coco Gauff is now the youngest player to reach three consecutive quarter-finals at the Italian Open since Iga Swiatek, who reached the quarter-final stage from 2021 to 2023.
Gauff has also become the youngest American since Mary Joe Fernandez to reach three consecutive Italian Open quarter-finals.
Fernandez, a former world number four, made three straight quarter-finals in Rome from 1991 to 1993.
Gauff has also been competing in the doubles event in Rome. Alongside Caty McNally, the pair won their opening match against Indonesians Aldila Sutjiadi and Janice Tjen.
Gauff and McNally last played together during a Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tie three years ago.
“It’s been great to be back with Caty,” Gauff said after beating Jovic on Monday. “I need another match with her. I felt like the first match we played good.
“Moments she was playing good, then I wasn’t playing so good. We need to find that chemistry again.
“It’s definitely, like, as far as a person and a player, she’s doing great. I think she’s playing great tennis. I’ve always thought highly of Caty on and off the court. It’s very cool to be back playing doubles with her.
“Maybe we can mix it in a little bit more and not have that time in between like we did this time.”
