World number three, American Coco Gauff, shared her thoughts after securing a convincing win against Great Britain`s Emma Raducanu with a score of 6/1, 6/2 in the Round of 16 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, Italy.
“I was really pleased with how I played today,” Gauff stated. “It was a great performance, and I felt like I was the one controlling and dictating the play for the majority of the match. My forehand was definitely one of the key factors in winning the match, and I`m very happy with its progression. I felt better on court than in previous matches. While these courts still feel quite slow compared to Madrid, I`m adapting more with each match I play here.”
Commenting on the challenging conditions, she added: “It was very windy out there, especially during the second set. That wind played a significant role in the match, no doubt. But being from Florida, I`m quite accustomed to dealing with those kinds of conditions. Sometimes you just have to learn to navigate the wind, understanding you always need that extra bit of mobility. Many points won`t look clean or `pretty` – there were plenty like that in the second set – but that`s just part of playing tennis when it`s windy. It`s not always about aesthetics.”
Gauff`s next challenge in the Rome quarter-finals will be facing 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva. Gauff previously defeated Andreeva in the quarter-finals of the preceding WTA 1000 event in Madrid with a score of 7/5, 6/1.
