By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@janniksin.
Coco Gauff marched into the semifinals of the Italian Open on Wednesday by beating seventh seed Mirra Andreeva in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
Gauff is now guaranteed to become the new number two in the world rankings, overtaking Iga Swiatek.
Gauff will face top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who beat her in the final of the Madrid Open this month, or China’s Zheng Qinwen in the last four.
“A lot of confidence heading into the semi-finals. I think today some points weren’t played at my best, but I still managed to be successful,” said Gauff, who has reached the semi-finals in Madrid for the third time.
Andreeva let her frustrations boil over at 3-3 in the opening set, hurling her racquet to the floor and waving angrily at her team after sending a forehand into the net.
The 18-year-old recovered to break back immediately as Gauff opened up a 5-3 lead, but she was unable to hold serve again as her opponent wrapped up the set.
She looked in danger of letting the match slip away at the start of the second, dropping serve before regaining her focus to fight back and force a tie-break.
However, it was the 2023 US Open champion who edged it as Andreeva sent a backhand long to gift Gauff victory after one hour and 42 minutes.
Meanwhile top-ranked Jannik Sinner visited the new pope, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open. Leo XIV, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player.
The pope and Sinner posed for photos in front of the Davis Cup trophy that Sinner helped Italy win for the second consecutive time last year.
Sinner has a quarterfinal match on Thursday in his first tournament back after a three-month ban for doping that was judged to be an accidental contamination. He will next face freshly-crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud, who beat Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-4.