Emma Raducanu is set to compete against fourth seed Coco Gauff in the Round of 16 at the Italian Open in Rome.
Raducanu, a former BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner, is aiming for a place in the quarter-finals and looking to secure her second career title.
In her previous match on Sunday, Raducanu staged a comeback against Veronika Kudermetova, winning the final two sets 6-0, 6-1 after dropping the first set 5-7.
Coco Gauff has had a strong start to the tournament, losing only one set across her first two matches and winning four consecutive sets against Victoria Mboko and Magda Linette.
Start time: 2pm BST
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
Raducanu 1-3 Gauff
Raducanu began her service game strongly, taking a 30-0 lead. However, an unforced error and deep groundstrokes from Gauff allowed the fourth seed to claim the next three points and create a break opportunity. Raducanu successfully saved the break point, leading to three deuces. Ultimately, Raducanu managed to hold serve by constructing points effectively and attacking immediately after her serve.
Raducanu 0-3 Gauff
Both players displayed fantastic ball striking. Raducanu demonstrated patience, waiting for a shorter ball before capitalizing with a powerful forehand winner. She then hit an excellent return deep at Gauff`s feet, earning herself a break point. However, Gauff`s strong defense, an ace, and a wild return from Raducanu allowed her to escape trouble and hold serve from 30-40 down.
Raducanu 0-2 Gauff
Gauff secures an early break in the match. Raducanu has struggled to play on the front foot early on, and the tremendous depth on Gauff`s shots has forced her into two unforced errors during this game.
Raducanu 0-1 Gauff
The match is now underway on the Grand Stand Arena in Rome. Considering Raducanu`s attacking approach and Gauff`s somewhat inconsistent forehand on clay this week, it was anticipated that Emma would target it early. Nevertheless, Coco successfully held her opening service game, aided by an ace at 30-30.
Head-to-head
Raducanu and Gauff have faced each other only once previously in their careers. Their only meeting was in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open. Gauff won that encounter in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, though Raducanu was reportedly struggling with an injury at the time.
Form
Raducanu appears to be in good form recently and has won three matches to reach the Round of 16 in Rome, defeating Maya Joint, Jill Teichmann, and Veronika Kudermetova. This follows a strong performance at the Miami Open where she reached the quarter-finals. However, her previous clay tournament in Madrid last week resulted in a tough draw and a loss to Marta Kostyuk.
Meanwhile, World No. 3 Gauff is still searching for her first title of the year. While her season hasn`t reached the high standards she`s set for herself, she was the runner-up in Madrid last Sunday.
Emma Raducanu vs Coco Gauff
Welcome to our coverage of the Italian Open, featuring an exciting Round of 16 clash between two prominent Grand Slam champions: Britain`s Emma Raducanu and America`s Coco Gauff. Stay tuned for updates from Rome.
