Coco Gauff fought back to earn victory against Iva Jovic in the Italian Open fourth round. The reigning French Open champion recovered from match point down to beat the American teenager.
Gauff trailed 7-5 5-3 against 18-year-old Jovic in Rome. However, the world number four survived the match point to win 5-7 7-5 6-2.
Gauff Overcomes Jovic’s Challenge
Gauff’s preparations for her Roland Garros title defence looked in danger against Jovic. She had also recovered from a set down to Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the previous round.
Despite the victory, Gauff knows she will have to play much better to match her run to the Italian Open final last year. She lost to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the Rome final last year. Gauff will need to improve to retain the French Open, which begins on 24 May.
Iga Swiatek brushed aside Naomi Osaka 6-2 6-1 in an impressive win.
Tough Conditions at Foro Italico
Gauff, who won her second Grand Slam title by beating Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Roland Garros final, was not at her best against Jovic. The match was played in testing wind.
The noise of fighter jets also disrupted the players at the Foro Italico venue.
Gauff said she was proud, adding that Iva played really good tennis and the conditions weren’t easy. She thanked her team for their pep talk.
Gauff will face Russian eight seed Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals.
Gauff’s Relief After Close Call
Gauff’s main emotion might well have been pride, but her relief at avoiding another early clay-court exit was also evident. She lost in the Stuttgart quarter-finals and Madrid last 16.
Gauff struggled with her footwork and misfired with her forehand in the opening two sets.
Jovic missed match point with a tight forehand into the net. The 17th ranked teenager became distracted by a cut on her finger caused by an earlier fall on the red dirt.
Gauff took full advantage by showing indomitable spirit. Jovic was feeling uncomfortable with her grip and it contributed to errors as Gauff turned the second set in her favour. Gauff has said she is dealing with “tough” off-court issues at the moment.
Capitalising on Jovic’s Errors
Gauff still did not play cleanly in the decider, but knew the importance of simply getting the ball back into play with regularity. She preyed on Jovic’s problems.
Jovic, who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year, continued to hit loosely and her first serve plummeted. The pair exchanged five breaks of serve before Gauff steadied herself to win the final three games.
Gauff will need to raise her level when she faces Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals.