World No. 4 Coco Gauff secured her spot in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open with a convincing victory over No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday. Gauff triumphed with a 7-5, 6-1 scoreline in a match that lasted just over 1 hour and 30 minutes.
First Set Comeback
The American faced a tough challenge early on, trailing 5-4 in the first set and staring down two set points on Andreeva`s serve. However, Gauff displayed remarkable resilience, staging a turnaround by winning nine of the subsequent ten games. A crucial backhand winner saved the first set point, and she capitalized on her second break point opportunity to level the set at 5-5 before dominating the remainder of the match.
Semifinal Showdown Against Swiatek
Up next for the reigning US Open champion is a highly anticipated clash with World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. Swiatek, the defending champion in Madrid and a five-time Grand Slam winner, holds a significant 11-3 lead in their head-to-head record.
Gauff initially struggled against Swiatek, losing their first seven encounters without winning a single set. She broke that streak at the 2023 Cincinnati tournament and has won their last two meetings, including one this year at the United Cup. However, she is yet to secure a win against the formidable Pole on clay, Swiatek`s preferred surface.
Historical Context and Milestones
The quarterfinal match between Gauff, aged 21, and Andreeva, who turned 18 the day prior, marked a significant historical point. It featured the second-youngest combined age for opponents in a WTA 1000 quarterfinal since the tour tier was established in 2009. The only younger quarterfinal pairing was Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Agnieszka Radwanska at Indian Wells in 2009.
This appearance marks Gauff`s ninth WTA 1000 semifinal overall and her third on clay courts. Her previous clay WTA 1000 semifinals were both in Rome (2021 and 2024), where she was defeated by Iga Swiatek on both occasions.
By reaching the final four in Madrid, Gauff becomes the second-youngest player to achieve semifinal appearances at both the Madrid and Rome WTA 1000 events. Only Caroline Wozniacki reached this milestone at a younger age, accomplishing it while still 20 years old.
The victory over Andreeva also represented the 25th Top 10 win of Gauff`s career. At 21, she is the youngest player to reach this milestone since Ana Ivanovic, who achieved her 25th Top 10 win at the age of 20 in 2008.
Match Progression
Following the first set comeback, Gauff took complete control in the second set. She did not lose a single point on her serve, winning 15 consecutive service points until facing triple match point at 5-1, 40-0. Despite hitting one error long, she swiftly closed out the victory on her second match point, showcasing dominant form.
Rupert Caldwell