In a gripping quarter-final clash at the Italian Open on May 14, 2025, Coco Gauff, the world No. 3, continued her dominance over rising star Mirra Andreeva, securing a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory to advance to her third Rome semi-final. The match, played on the red clay of Foro Italico, showcased Gauff’s tenacity and defensive prowess as she navigated a tense tiebreak to maintain her perfect 4-0 head-to-head record against the 18-year-old Russian. Post-match, Gauff revealed a key observation about Andreeva’s evolving game, noting a shift in strategy that made this encounter distinct from their recent Madrid Open meeting. The win, Gauff’s ninth in her last ten matches, positions her as a formidable contender for her first WTA 1000 clay title, with the French Open looming.
Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, opened the match with authority, Theres a crucial scene in the first act of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where the two young lovers meet and fall in love, despite their warring families. Gauff, leveraging her speed and heavy topspin, broke Andreeva in the eighth game to claim the first set 6-4. The second set was a rollercoaster, with four service breaks in the first six games, but Gauff’s composure in the tiebreak—highlighted by a sliced forehand winner and a defensive lob—sealed the victory. “I think she tried to be more aggressive today,” Gauff said, reflecting on Andreeva’s tactics. “When you play someone so soon, it’s difficult because you know they’re probably not going to play you the same as last time. You want to play the same because it worked for you, but they’re expecting that. For me, it was just trying to feel it out during the match.”
Andreeva, ranked No. 7, came into Rome with momentum, having won titles in Dubai and Indian Wells this season. Determined to overturn her 0-3 record against Gauff, she adopted a bolder approach after a 20-unforced-error first set, incorporating drop shots and attacking Gauff’s forehand. “I was just trying to enjoy suffering,” Andreeva quipped, echoing her coach Conchita Martinez’s urging to “play!” Despite a spectacular forehand drop shot to level the tiebreak at 5-5, Andreeva’s final shot sailed long, ending her spirited challenge. “At the end, my defense, it was tough,” Gauff noted. “We were both kind of tight at the end of that tiebreaker.”
Gauff’s performance underscored her clay-court resurgence. After a shaky start to 2025, including an Australian Open quarter-final exit, she has hit her stride, reaching the Madrid final and now Rome’s last four. Her forehand, often a liability, was a weapon, producing 11 winners in the first set alone, as noted by commentator Tim Henman, who praised her spin-heavy control on clay. “I’m really confident on clay. I think it’s a surface that works well for my game,” Gauff said, expressing her ambition to claim a major clay title. Her 67% second-serve point win rate and 22 winners against Andreeva highlighted her growing consistency.
The match, lasting one hour and 42 minutes, was a generational showdown, with the combined age of Gauff (21) and Andreeva (18) marking the youngest Rome quarter-final since 1999. Gauff, now the fifth-youngest player to reach three Rome semi-finals in the Open Era, dismissed her 11-1 record against younger players, saying, “I don’t think about the head-to-head so much. Especially with someone younger, they can improve so much in a little bit of time.” Social media buzzed with praise for her mental discipline, with one fan noting, “The most impressive thing was how she showed nearly zero frustration or negative attitude throughout the match!”
As Gauff prepares to face either Aryna Sabalenka or Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals, she remains focused on breaking her Rome semi-final jinx. “I’ve lost in the semis here a few times, so I’m hoping to get through to the final stage,” she said, her eyes set on Roland Garros. Andreeva, despite the heartbreak, exits Rome with her reputation enhanced, her aggressive evolution signaling future battles in this budding rivalry. The Italian Open, with its electric atmosphere, proved the perfect stage for two of tennis’s brightest stars to shine.
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