Coco Gauff had to fight through another difficult afternoon in Rome before beating Iva Jovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in the Italian Open fourth round.
Gauff saved match point before turning the second set around, then controlled the decider as Jovic’s level dropped.
The win sent the world No. 4 into the quarterfinals, but her on-court interview quickly became the lighter moment after a tense comeback.
Coco Gauff jokes with Rome crowd after Iva Jovic win
Gauff knew the crowd were waiting for Jannik Sinner, whose match against Alexei Popyrin was due to start only minutes later.
So she said in the post-match interview: “Grazie! See you in the next round. I know you guys are ready for Jannik Sinner. Can we get some cheers for Jannik?”
The response was immediate, with the stands erupting for the Italian world No. 1 before Gauff laughed and asked for some attention back.
“Ok ok. Wait. Can I have just a little cheer for me too?” she added, turning the moment into a playful exchange.
Sinner then followed with a completely different kind of match, beating Popyrin 6-2 6-0 in just over an hour.
Mirra Andreeva test now awaits Coco Gauff
Gauff’s reward is a demanding quarter-final against Mirra Andreeva, the world No. 7 and one of the sharpest young players on tour.
Andreeva reached the last eight after beating Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3, continuing a strong Rome run that also included wins over Antonia Ruzic and Viktorija Golubic.
Gauff leads their head-to-head 4-0, but Andreeva’s recent form makes this a serious test after a draining escape against Jovic.
Read more:
