Gauff needs 5 match points to fend off Andreeva; into fourth Rome semifinal

World No. 3 Coco Gauff can exhale a sigh of relief.

Rome: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Nearly seeing a 5-1, two-break lead in the third set dwindle against No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva, Gauff -- needing five match points -- now advances to the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia with her 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win, the fourth time in her career.

The 2025 Rome finalist will next encounter Sorana Cirstea for a spot in the 2026 final, meeting the Romanian for the third time this season and in back-to-back tournaments. Gauff's now 5-0 against Andreeva, and for the second straight year, knocks out the 19-year-old in the quarterfinals of Rome -- the 2025 quarterfinal was also their most recent meeting.

"Especially with my forehand and return, I thought I did well with that," Gauff said to press. "Obviously wish I could have closed it out a little bit earlier in the third. She definitely raised her level. I put myself in the position to win on pretty much every game."

The American is through to her 15th 1000-level WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz semifinal and third of 2026 (Dubai and Miami), and is just the second player in the Open Era to claim three or more comeback wins to reach at the Internazionali d’Italia, after Nathalie Tauziat (1989).

How it played out:

First set: Particularly in the first set -- and throughout the match -- Gauff frequently finished the rallies at the net as both engaged in numerous, rapid-volley exchanges. Sometimes, Gauff was drawn to the net by Andreeva's sneaky drop shots -- Andreeva's hit of the day was a beautifully placed drop shot with a favorable bounce to hold at love for a 3-1 lead -- and other times, Gauff headed toward the net for a higher-percentage look as her deep shots weren't working initially. 

Andreeva handled it well at times, often hitting her shots right toward Gauff at the net or finding the open lane for a pass down-the-line or crosscourt. In a close first set, Andreeva finished with 10 winners to just seven unforced errors, and vice versa for Gauff. 

"I felt when the balls are getting heavy, it was tough," Gauff said. "There was one game where I just felt like I could not get the return deep. I ended up winning the game. I just felt like I couldn't get it deep enough in the court. She was killing me on the short balls.

"I think it's a win-win and a lose-lose sometimes for me. It just depends on the player."

Second set: If there was a perfect example of how the match was playing out, it'd be a stretch of three points all at the net that saw Gauff save a break point to creating a game point of her own, which she capped off with an ace. 

Gauff bolted out to a 3-0 lead, up a break, and never looked back in the second set. Compared to the first, though there was occasional play at the net, Gauff stayed more grounded to the baseline, hitting her spots, finishing with eight winners in the set. Andreeva became more frustrated, seemingly to rush to the service line in between points, and recorded 11 unforced errors in the second set as Gauff forced a decider. 

Third set: It seemed initially Gauff was going to runaway with it, up a double break with a 5-1 lead. Gauff had carried the momentum from the second set, using her significant speed to her advantage and benefitting from some costly Andreeva unforced errors. She was one game away -- and even two points away -- from her fourth-career 6-1 set against Andreeva, and that's when everything changed. 

"I think you have the lead, I know when I play her she can play great tennis at any moment," Gauff said. "But I was also thinking, I saved a match point in the last round, so I could easily not be here today.

"I was just trying to appreciate just being here even if those match points weren't going my way. I think it showed in my reaction every time I lost them."

In the Round of 16 against Iva Jovic, it was Gauff who had to save match points, but on Tuesday, it was Gauff's turn to finish them. Ultimately, she needed five to fend off Andreeva, who had gotten the match back on serve, but once Andreeva's backhand down the line just missed, Gauff's relief could be felt throughout Campo Centrale.

Consider this, however. Andreeva had her chances in the final set and had she converted on any of the following, the outcome could have been much different: 

-Game point at 1-0, 40-30 | Outcome: Gauff breaks, now 1-1
-Game point at 1-1, 40-30 | Outcome: Gauff breaks on fourth chance, now 3-1 Gauff
-Break points at 1-3, 30-40 & 40-adv. | Outcome: Gauff holds, now 4-1 Gauff
-5 game points in final game after saving four match points | Outcome: Gauff wins on fifth match point