Coco Gauff was on the brink of defeat against Iva Jovic, before she was able to turn the match around and win in three sets. Gauff was a set and a break down against Jovic, and even faced a match point, as her inconsistent run at the Italian Open continued against her compatriot.
She eventually won 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 to confirm her place in the quarter-finals of the competition for the third consecutive year and set up a match with Mirra Andreeva in the last eight. Gauff cited the help of her coaches in beating Iva Jovic, but she is under no illusions that she must improve if she is to lift the first Italian Open title of her career and she has already outlined what she wants to do for her next match against Andreeva.
Talking about her improvements in her post-match press conference, the American revealed: “Honestly the starts have been fine. My first round I was up a break.
Today I was up a break in the first. I think I was up 3-1, 30-Love, too.
“I think for me it’s more focusing on staying on top of the opponent when I do have the lead in the first set. I think it’s a learning experience.
I’m not disappointed. “I played two quality opponents, Eva being top 20.
I’m not Jannik. I think I’m going to lose some sets.
Obviously the goal is to definitely start those matches… I guess I’m starting them fine, but continue to close out the first sets so I don’t have to go three hours on the court.” Gauff has already dropped 32 games in Rome in her first three matches, which has equated to two sets lost against Jovic and Solana Sierra. Despite her ropey form in Rome, Gauff should be applauded for the way she has continued to fight despite looking on the brink of defeat.
The star even admitted that she though her time at the tournament was done when she was down a match point against Jovic in the second set. “On that match point, my head was almost to the locker room, to be honest.
I was like, Well, I’m going to hear a lot about this one. Then after, I don’t know, I was able to get through it,” she said in her press conference.
“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.
I was thinking about my match in Dubai when I saved like five or six against Mertens. I was like, ‘Maybe I can do it again today.’” As the latter stages of the tournament intensify, Gauff will not have long to prepare for a tough test against Andreeva.
She is due to play the Russian star tomorrow, with the order of play yet to be confirmed by the Italian Open. It will no doubt be one of the bigger matches on the order of play, so it would be surprising if it didn’t take place on the main court in Rome.
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