Coco Gauff notably captured the French Open title earlier this year, solidifying her status as a top player.
World number two Coco Gauff advanced to the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Lucia Bronzetti.
Gauff’s path to the last 16 was marked by a straight-sets win in her opening match, followed by a walkover against Dayana Yastremska in the subsequent round.
In contrast, Bronzetti, ranked number 61 globally, had navigated her previous three rounds through hard-fought three-set battles, and quickly fell behind 3-0 in the match.
Although Gauff’s serve was broken in the fifth game, it proved to be a minor setback as she swiftly regained control and secured the first set in 33 minutes.
The American player surged to a 2-0 lead in the second set, only to experience another brief lapse when Bronzetti broke her serve to love in the third game.
Bronzetti elevated her performance and created a break point opportunity at 2-2, but her backhand return sailed long, enabling Gauff to maintain her hold.
The second set unfolded as a more tightly contested affair, yet Bronzetti’s two double faults while serving to stay in the match allowed Gauff to capitalize, break her serve, and ultimately clinch the victory.
“For the most part I played aggressive,” stated Gauff, a former Cincinnati Open champion in 2023, a year in which she also went on to claim the US Open title.
“Maybe there were a couple that were a little bit passive in some of those games but it’s tough – the balls are super light and she wasn’t giving me much pace.
“I was just trying to play controlled but also aggressive and, for the most part, I think I did well.”
Looking ahead, Gauff is set to face the winner of the upcoming match between Italian Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in the next stage of the tournament.
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