Coco Gauff continued her strong form at the Italian Open with another win over Mirra Andreeva. She beat the Russian teenager in straight sets to move into the semi-finals. This victory pushed Gauff’s record against Andreeva to 4-0.
Gauff has never lost to the 18-year-old, despite Andreeva’s good record against top-10 players this year. Their first match was at the Madrid Open quarter-finals, where Gauff also won in straight sets.
They met again on Wednesday, May 14. The match was competitive, with both players showing sharp shot-making. But Gauff took control early. In the first set, Andreeva struggled with her backhand and couldn’t handle Gauff’s drop shots.
In the second set, Andreeva tried to respond with more power. Gauff held firm, using her defense to push Andreeva into more mistakes. The Russian’s forehand, usually her best weapon, broke down at key moments. Gauff won the match 6-4, 7-6(5) to book her spot in the semi-finals.
Coco Gauff Receives Praise From Paul Annacone
After the match, Gauff earned praise from Paul Annacone, former coach of Roger Federer. Speaking on Tennis Channel, he praised Gauff’s smart play and ability to stay calm in long rallies.
“I think Coco just adds such a big threat because of the great defensive skills when Andreeva plays against her,” said Annacone. “She is not quite sure how to finish the points, and Coco is the one who can just feel a little more solid in the rallies, not afraid to come forward when she has to, and I like when she improvises and uses the slice forehand because that can create some imbalance.”
This is the man behind the magic of @CocoGauff.@Paul_Annacone sat down with Corey Gauff, Coco's father and coach, to talk about her journey.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/QbI0tf2kwd
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 29, 2019
Annacone highlighted that long rallies usually favor Andreeva. But in this matchup, Gauff came out stronger and more composed.
Gauff then moved on to face Qinwen Zheng in the semi-finals. The two had last played at the WTA Finals in November, where Gauff won a tough three-set match to take the title.
Their Italian Open clash was another hard-fought battle. Gauff once again pulled through in three sets, continuing her great run on clay this season.
