By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, Might 9, 2026
Picture credit score: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Fb
Streaks of slide marks etched the grime like routes on a crimson clay map.
Trailing 0-3 within the last set, Coco Gauff coated the court docket relentlessly rallying previous Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 into the Rome spherical of 16 at the moment.
The 2025 Rome runner-up overcame festering frustration, a pointy Sierra and that third-set deficit displaying why endurance is certainly one of her finest property. Gauff, who transformed 9 of 23 break factors at the moment, improved to 21-9 in three-set matches during the last two seasons.
The third-seeded Gauff will play a compatriot, both Sixteenth-seeded Iva Jovic or Taylor Townsend, for a quarterfinal spot.
Although Gauff stomped Sierra, 6-1, 6-1, of their lone prior assembly on the laborious court docket of the United Cup in January, the 72nd-ranked Argentinean turned the tables on Rome’s crimson clay at the moment.
Sierra held at like to degree the opening set after 10 video games then pounded away on the Gauff forehand breaking for 6-5. Sierra rallied from Love-30 down profitable 4 factors in a row to grab a one-set lead.
A revitalized Gauff tore via the shutout second set on the energy of three straight service breaks, allotting the bagel to drive a decider.
Within the last set, Sierra got here out cracking drives into the corners in taking a 3-0 lead. Slapping her palm towards her leg as if attempting to jump-start her sport, Gauff broke again at love within the fourth sport.
That break sparked a run of 5 video games in a row as Gauff took cost and earned a match level on serve at 5-3. Sierra saved it and scored her sixth break to slender the hole to 4-5.
Sierra, who reached the Madrid spherical of 16 this month, saved a second match level within the tenth sport. Gauff gained a 3rd match level and Sierra spit up her fourth double fault to finish it.
