By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 14, 2025
Photo credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook
Bouncing on her toes behind the baseline, Coco Gauff looked like a sprinter poised to burst from the blocks.
A focused Gauff broke in the first and last games tearing into the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Lucia Bronzetti today.
It’s the 45th WTA main draw quarterfinal for the 21-year-old Gauff, who is the youngest woman to hit that milestone since former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in 2011.
Two years ago, Gauff made history as the youngest woman to win the Cincinnati Open in the Open Era.
Continuing her hunt for her second Cincinnati final in the last three years, Gauff will face either seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini or 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the quarterfinals.
Hitting her spots 🎯@CocoGauff | #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/wBrf9JGSPD
— wta (@WTA) August 14, 2025
WTA Finals champion Gauff coughed up 43 double faults in her three Montreal matches earlier this month.
Gauff turned today’s match into clean up time.
The second seed more than tripled Bronzetti’s winner output, served 67 percent and hit six aces against three double faults. The only real mis-steps for Gauff came when she dropped serve in the fifth game and surrendered serve at love in the third game of the second set.
Apart from that, Gauff was in charge for much of this 79-minute conquest often breaking the Bronzetti backhand down and effectively driving the ball down the line off both wings.
Bronzetti spent six hours longer on court than Gauff— seven hours, 22 minutes in total—just to reach this fourth round stage. Gauff, who took a walkover into the round of 16 as scheduled opponent Dayana Yastremska withdrew, was quick off the mark from the first ball.
At the outset, Gauff left the Italian looking a half-step slow. Gauff banged a backhand strike down the line scoring first break blood for 2-0.
The reigning Roland Garros champion stumbled in in the fifth game with a wild backhand and a double fault to face triple break point. On her third break point, Bronzetti induced an errant forehand on the 15th shot breaking back for 2-3.
An assertive Gauff came right back belting a swing volley to set up a smash as she scored her second break for 4-2.
The world No. 61 saved two set points, but sailed a backhand beyond the baseline to face a third set point.
Opening the court with a heavy forehand, Gauff whipped a crosscourt forehand winner to end the opening set on on a three-game run.
Beating up Bronzetti’s second serve, Gauff won nine of 12 points on the Italian’s second delivery, snatching a one-set lead after 32 minutes.
Throwing down an ace, Gauff won her fourth game in a row to open the second set.
The Bronzetti forehand is her best shot and she showed it stinging heavy forehand strikes to break at love for 1-2.
Fighting through a lengthy four-deuce fifth game, Gauff stood her ground and prevailed in a crackling 17-shot rally to hold for 3-2.
Finding the range and rhythm on her serve, Gauff cracked a couple of aces holding for 4-3.
Serving at 4-5, Bronzetti hit her fourth double fault to face double match point. Gauff drew one final forehand miss to raise her 2025 record to 35-11 and return to the quarterfinals.
