Emma Raducanu vs Coco Gauff LIVE: Italian Open latest score and updates from blockbuster last-16 match
Raducanu and Gauff meet for just the second time with a place in the Italian Open quarter-finals on the line
Emma Raducanu takes on Coco Gauff in the Italian Open last-16 as two young stars battle for a place in the quarter-finals in Rome.
Raducanu fought from behind to claim an impressive win over Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday, managing to keep her composure and cool after losing the first set and only dropping one more game from there as the 22-year-old earned a 5-7 6-0 6-1 win.
The Briton was surprised afterwards as she was told her next opponent was American star and fourth seed Gauff, who has more experience and pedigree on clay after reaching a French Open final and playing in the Madrid Open final last week.
This will be just the second time Raducanu has played Gauff, with the American winning a second-round match at the Australian Open in 2023. If Raducanu wins, she will retake the British No 1 ranking from Katie Boulter, in what would be a significant boost ahead of Roland Garros.
Elsewhere at the Italian Open, home favourite Jannik Sinner will return to action against Jesper de Jong. The World No 1 marked his comeback from a three-month doping suspension on Saturday in front of a raucous Rome crowd.
Emma Raducanu will retake the British No 1 ranking from Katie Boulter should she beat Coco Gauff and reach the quarter-finals of the Italian Open today.
Raducanu is currently 42nd in the WTA’s live rankings after progressing to the last-16 in Rome. Her live rankings total is 1259 and will go to 1354 if she wins another match.
That will move her above Boulter’s total of 1331 after she lost in the opening round of the Italian Open.
Raducanu could also earn a seeded position for the French Open if she reaches the semi-finals in Rome.
Coco Gauff, meanwhile, is guaranteed to move up to World No 2, with Iga Swiatek slipping to No 4 ahead of the French Open.
Jack Draper: ‘I get out of bed and I feel so angry some days’
Jack Draper suggested his new ranking of World No 5 contributed to his anger and frustration on court during his win over Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva yesterday.
Draper said: “I’m human. We don’t always wake up out of bed feeling great. I’m the same. I get out of bed and I feel so angry some days, and I’ve got to play a tennis match and I’ve got to lose points and I’ve got to go through those emotional ups and downs, even with that going on.
“I think I’ve played a lot of tennis, a lot of matches, and I’m getting used to that. I’m in a new position now, my ranking is obviously going up, and I’m getting to compete week in, week out and play lots of matches.
“It’s taking some getting used to for me from a mental and physical side, and I want to keep going, but it’s sometimes difficult to always be perfect.”
Jack Draper advances in Rome despite smashing racquet as ‘frustration boiled out’
Jack Draper admitted his frustration had boiled over after he smashed a racquet en route to beating Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva in straight sets at the Italian Open.
The British No 1 was a set and a break up but had passed up the chance to break Kopriva again to make it 4-2 when he angrily struck his racquet a number of times on the clay court.
Emma Raducanu scolds opponent for trying to ‘throw me off’ with medical timeout
Emma Raducanu said she was proud of how she kept her focus as she came from behind to defeat Veronika Kudermetova and reach the last-16 of the Italian Open.
After losing the first set, Raducanu dropped just one game as the Briton surged to a 5-7 6-0 6-1 victory and booked a clash with fourth seed Coco Gauff in Rome.
Raducanu was pleased with how she bounced back from the first set and didn’t let Kudermetova back into the contest, believing the former World No 9’s medical timeout late in the second set was an attempt to “throw me off”.
Kudermetova went off court for several minutes as Raducanu was forced to wait, but the 22-year-old kept her composure and highlighted the “big progress” she has made.
Emma Raducanu scolds opponent for trying to ‘throw me off’ with medical timeout
Emma Raducanu set up an Italian Open last-16 meeting with Coco Gauff as she came from behind to beat Veronika Kudermetova in Rome.
After losing the first set despite serving at 5-4 up, Raducanu bounced back in emphatic fashion, seeing off her Russian opponent 5-7 6-0 6-1 in a contest lasting just over two-and-a-half hours.
The 22-year-old Briton told Sky Sports: “For me the best thing about today I think was recovering after losing the first set and having serve for it.
“I think I threw in a pretty poor game at 5-4 serving, but I felt under pressure on Veronika’s returns, she was literally red-lining everything and it was all going in and I was like ‘I don’t know where to serve’ and it’s not a nice feeling to have.
“I’m so happy with how I didn’t let the rest of the match get away with me. I think that’s a big progress compared to maybe the matches I played in the past.”
Italian Open order of play and schedule
CAMPO CENTRALE (Start 10:00 AM)
- Peyton Stearns (USA) vs. Naomi Osaka (JPN)
- [6] Jasmine Paolini (ITA) vs. [17] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) (NB 11:30)
- [1] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [LL] Jesper de Jong (NED) (NB 14:00)
- [29] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs. [6] Casper Ruud (NOR) (NB 18:00)
- [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. Marta Kostyuk (UKR) (NB 19:30)
GRAND STAND ARENA (Start 10:00 AM)
- [LL] Hugo Dellien (BOL) vs. [7] Alex de Minaur (AUS)
- [20] Jakub Mensik (CZE) vs. Fabian Marozsan (HUN)
- [4] Coco Gauff (USA) vs. Emma Raducanu (GBR) (NB 14:00)
- Jaume Munar (ESP) vs. [22] Sebastian Korda (USA)
- Bianca Andreescu (CAN) vs. [8] Qinwen Zheng (CHN) (NB 17:30)
Emma Raducanu vs Coco Gauff start time
The last-16 match in Rome will be played after 2pm UK time and is scheduled third on the Grand Stand Arena.
It follows two matches in the men’s singles with seventh seed Alex de Minaur first facing the lucky loser Hugo Dellien and then Miami champion Jakub Mensik taking on the in-form Fabian Marozsan.
The action gets underway at 10am UK, so if De Minaur and Mensik can progress in good time then Raducanu and Gauff will take to court at 2pm, but it may be slightly later depending on the previous matches.
How to watch the Italian Open in the UK
The tournament is being shown on Sky Sports in the UK. Customers can also stream the action on Sky Go or Now TV.
Emma Raducanu vs Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff, 21, has more experience and pedigree on clay that the 22-year-old Emma Raducanu, having reached a French Open final and featuring in the Madrid Open final last week, where she lost to World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
The American also won their previous meeting in the second round of the Australian Open in 2023.
“I think I’m playing pretty good tennis right now and she is going to be a great test,” Raducanu added. “I mean she’s made the final of the French Open so she’s great on this surface.”
Good morning
Emma Raducanu said she was looking forward to a “great test” against Coco Gauff as the pair meet for just the second time and with a place in the Italian Open quarter-finals up for grabs.
Raducanu appeared to be surprised when she was told that her opponent in the fourth round was the fourth seed Gauff, having come from behind to defeat Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday.
“I haven’t looked at the draw to be honest but she’s a great competitor. Are you sure I’m playing Coco?” Raducanu said when being interviewed by Sky Sports.
