'She is a tough opponent to play,' Coco Gauff ready for the Iga Swiatek’s challenge in Rome Semifinals as she takes down Qinwen Zheng in straight sets

World No.3 Coco Gauff secured her place in the semi-finals of the Rome Masters by defeating Australian Open finalist Qinwen Zheng 7-6(4), 6-1. The American sensation is now poised for a clash with World No.1 Iga Swiatek.

Despite her less-than-favorable head-to-head record against Swiatek, Gauff remains optimistic about her chances. Out of their 10 encounters, Swiatek holds a commanding 9-1 lead. Among those victories was a straight-sets win in Rome three years ago.

Gauff has now amassed an impressive record of 61 victories in WTA 1000 events before reaching the age of 21, surpassing the previous milestone of Caroline Wozniacki of 60 wins since the format’s inception. Apart from today’s win, the 20-year-old American has beaten Magdalena Frech of Poland (6-3, 6-3), Romanian lucky loser Jaqueline Cristian (6-1, 0-6, 6-3), and Spaniard Paula Badosa (5-7, 6-4, 6-1) in this tournament so far.

Gauff’s sole victory against the Swiatek came at the Western and Southern Open last year, where she claimed a hard-fought win with scores of 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. Nevertheless, she faces a daunting task in attempting to secure a second victory against arguably her toughest opponent.

I can’t tell you (when asked how to beat Swiatek) She is a tough opponent to play, especially on clay. There’s a reason why she’s No. 1. But I feel like I’m getting better with each match. I’m really excited to play the semifinal. claims Coco Gauff after her win against Qinwen Zheng

Despite their three encounters on clay resulting in losses for Gauff, with Swiatek winning all six sets, their first match on clay was the closest. In the 2021 Rome semifinals, Gauff came within two points of clinching the first set before ultimately succumbing to a 7-6(3), 6-3 defeat.

Coco Gauff shows ruthless form by dispatching Qinwen Zheng in the Rome quarter-finals

Gauff achieved a significant milestone in her tennis career by securing her first Top 10 victory of the season at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. Facing off against the No.7 seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals, the 20-year-old displayed remarkable resilience and skill to triumph.

Even though the American struggled a bit in the beginning, she fought hard and won a tough first set. Then, she dominated the second set to seal the win.