Gauff saves match point to set up Andreeva showdown in Rome quarters

No. 3 seed Coco Gauff and No. 8 Mirra Andreeva took different routes into the Internazionali BNL d'Italia quarterfinals on Monday in Rome, setting up one of the tournament’s most anticipated showdowns.

Gauff saved a match point late in the second set before defeating fellow American Iva Jovic in three sets, while Andreeva enjoyed a smoother passage into the last eight with a straight-sets win over Elise Mertens.

Jovic one point away from biggest career win

The 18-year-old Jovic, seeded No. 16, has climbed rapidly in recent months, and Monday’s performance showed why. She recovered from a break down to win the opening set 7-5. In the second set, she again came back from an early-break deficit to lead 5-3 and serve for the biggest win of her career.

Gauff fights back from brink of defeat

Gauff, however, refused to back down. She saved a match point and converted her third break-point opportunity in the pivotal 10th game.

Jovic later required a medical timeout to treat her finger, and Gauff capitalized by winning the next three games to take the second set 7-5 and force a decider.

After the pair traded two breaks of serve apiece early in the third set, Gauff took control by winning the final four games to complete a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory in 2 hours, 45 minutes.

"Honestly on that match point my head was almost to the locker room, to be honest," Gauff told the media after her win. "I was Well, I'm going to hear a lot about this one (smiling). Then after, I don't know, I was able to get through it. 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. Honestly 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."

Gauff's win adds to her impressive numbers

The result gave Gauff her 10th three-set win on the WTA Tour in 2026, tying her with Andreeva and Jessica Pegula for the most this season. The trio also shares the lead for most comeback wins in 2026 with seven each.

"Honestly the starts have been fine," Gauff said about winning her last two matches from a set down. "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, Iva 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."

The win also marked Gauff’s 20th career main-draw victory in Rome, her second-most successful tournament after French Open, where she owns 27 wins. At 22 years, 53 days at the start of the tournament, she also became the second-youngest player in the Open Era to reach 20 main-draw wins at the Italian Open, behind only Gabriela Sabatini in 1991.

Andreeva scores milestone 50th win in WTA 1000 events

Andreeva had a far easier time in her first tour-level meeting with Mertens. The 19-year-old secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory in 1 hour, 18 minutes to reach the Rome quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.

The win was Andreeva’s milestone 50th victory in WTA 1000 events, making her the second teenager after Gauff, who had 53, to reach that mark. It also marked her 10th WTA 1000 quarterfinal, with only Gauff having reached more as a teenager with 13.

Gauff leads rivalry 4-0

Gauff and Andreeva will meet for the fifth time in their careers in the quarterfinals. The American has won all four previous meetings, including three on clay.

After Andreeva won the first set they played, in the third round of the 2023 French Open, Gauff has won eight consecutive sets against the younger Russian.