Cincinnati (AFP) – Coco Gauff claimed a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lucia Bronzetti to reach the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday, with the second seed’s game showing some minor rust after a bye in the previous round. Gauff got a free pass into the last 16 when intended opponent Dayana Yastremska withdrew before the start with injury.
The American, who won the Cincinnati title in 2023 before carrying her momentum to a US Open crown three weeks later, will next meet either seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or former Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova. Gauff will be playing her third 1000-level quarter-final of the season after Madrid and Rome — both of which she went on to reach the final.
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The 21-year-old, who lost an early break in both sets, finally secured a spot in the last eight with a concluding break of the 61st-ranked Italian’s serve as Bronzetti hit long after 79 minutes on court. Gauff said that memories of her title success here two years ago come to the surface whenever she is on the center court.
“It’s super special to play on this court, I have so many memories from 2023. I played controlled but aggressive, but sometimes I was a bit passive. It’s tough because the ball really flies and she was giving me no pace. I had chances (when she lost serve) but I missed a couple of balls. I was still able to close it out.”
© 2024 AFP
