Coco Gauff booked her place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Italian Open with a dominant victory against Emma Raducanu.
The world No 3 dismantled 49th-ranked Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 on the Grand Stand Arena in the last 16 at the Foro Italico.
In a clash of two former US Open champions, it was one-way traffic from start to finish as Gauff broke twice in each set and did not drop her own serve.
Gauff saved three break points, which came in separate games: at 2-0 in the first set; at 5-1 in the first set; and at 3-2 in the second set.
The American star now holds a 2-0 record against Raducanu, having won the duo’s first encounter in straight sets at the 2023 Australian Open.
The 21-year-old was already ensured of returning to her career-high ranking of world No 2 when the WTA Rankings update after her rivals Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula both exited Rome at the third round stage.
Gauff’s latest win has strengthened her position, though, as she has extended her lead over third-placed Pegula to 175 points in the live rankings.
She is now 580 points clear of Swiatek, who has dropped to fourth in the live standings as she failed to defend the 1,000 points she earned for winning the 2024 Italian Open.
WTA Tour News
Emma Raducanu clears air on opponent trying to ‘throw her off’ at the Italian Open
Chris Evert rates Iga Swiatek’s French Open chances as she names four favourites
Gauff is the first American woman to reach their third quarter-final in Rome since Venus Williams in 2006.
The 2023 US Open winner is chasing her maiden title at the Foro Italico, having reached the semi-finals in 2021 and 2024.
Raducanu, meanwhile, is up seven places in the live rankings — from 49th to 42nd — with the 120 points she gained for her three wins in Rome.
The 22-year-old Brit’s fourth round exit means, however, that she has narrowly missed the chance to claim the British No 1 spot from Katie Boulter.
Victory over Gauff would have seen Raducanu climb above Boulter, who currently sits 40th on the live list. Raducanu peaked at 10th in the world in July 2022, the year after her stunning US Open victory.
What next for Coco Gauff?
Gauff will face either world No 7 Mirra Andreeva or 23rd-ranked Clara Tauson in the last eight in Rome.
What next for Emma Raducanu?
Raducanu is set to compete at the French Open for only the second time and the first time since 2022.
READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu wins humorous WTA award – ‘Oops!… she did it again!’
The post Coco Gauff consolidates key rankings breakthrough with Emma Raducanu Italian Open hammering appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply