By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 11, 2026
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Facebook
The sky screamed and pressure spiked on the salmon-colored court.
Finding her flow amid turbulence, Coco Gauff saved a match point and landed another creative comeback win in Rome.
In an all-American clash, Gauff saved a match point at 3-5 in the final set sparking a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Iva Jovic to land a Rome quarterfinal return.
Playing her best tennis in the final set, Gauff solidified her status as a three-set fighter, improving to 22-9 in three-set matches over the past two seasons. Afterward, Gauff conceded she nearly thought this match was gone.
“I mean, honestly on that match point my head was almost, like, to the locker room, to be honest. I was like, Well, I’m going to hear a lot about this one,” Gauff said. “Yeah, then after, I don’t know, I was able to get through it.
“I think she maybe dropped a little bit her level when she had the lead. It was able to help me get back into the match.
“Yeah, honestly I was thinking about my match in Dubai when I saved like five or six against Mertens. I was like, Maybe I can do it again today.”
The 2025 Rome runner-up—and hard-core gelato fan Gauff—scored her 20th career win in the Eternal City, her most victories at any tournament.
It’s a gut-wrenching loss for Jovic, who showed she can go toe-to-toe with the French Open champion, changed direction down the line decisively at times and hung with Gauff in running rallies. Ultimately, Jovic, typically very mature for a teenager, imploded a bit slapping forehands around in the final set and bouncing her racquet to the red clay in disgust after losing match point. Still, Jovic should be encouraged by the level she showed for stretches today and by the fact she went for the forehand on match point rather than playing hit and hope tennis.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Gauff will play either eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva or 21st-seeded Elise Mertens, who saved match points dethroning defending champion Jasmine Paolini, for a semifinal spot.
It’s the second time two days Gauff has prevailed in a three-set comeback. Trailing 0-3 in the final set, Gauff covered the court relentlessly rallying past Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 on Saturday.
A whipping wind made ball control a big challenge in this maiden meeting between the 22-year-old Gauff and 18-year-old phenom Jovic.
For a set-and-a–half Jovic was playing more assertive tennis and put herself in position to pull off her biggest win. Jovic rallied from an early break down in both sets to come within one point of her first Top 10 win.
Leading 7-5, 5-3, 40-30, Jovic boldly tried changing direction driving a forehand down the line, but netted the shot.
Dodging match point, empowered Gauff, who tamed her own boisterous forehand in finishing both second and third sets with some shrewd combinations.
As Gauff staged a four-game flight to take the second set, two Italian fighter jets streaked through the sky above Campo Centrale in four flyovers sending roaring reverberations as tension tightened.
If Gauff watches the highlights from this match, she’ll probably draw the positives—she made fast starts in all three sets, hit only one double fault, mixed heights and spins of her shots and looked physically fresh after two hours, 45 minutes—and noticed the negatives. Jovic forced Gauff to play off her back foot for stretches, the third seed flailed some wild forehand misses down the line and too often allowed the teenager to take charge in rallies.
“My first round I was up a break. Today I was up a break in the first. I think I was up 3-1, 30-Love, too,” Gauff said. “I think for me it’s more focusing on staying on top of the opponent when I do have the lead in the first set.
“I think it’s a learning experience. I’m not disappointed. I played two quality opponents, Iva being top 20. I’m not Jannik. I think I’m going to lose some sets.
“Obviously the goal is to definitely start those matches… I guess I’m starting them fine, but continue to close out the first sets so I don’t have to go three hours on the court.”
The 2025 finalist flashed a backhand strike down the line to start the third game. Gauff drew an error capping a love break for 2-0.
Staying calm, Jovic exploited a couple of forehand errors to break back and level after six games.
Facing a pair of break points in the 12th game, Jovic denied them with fearless shotmaking.
The 18-year-old Jovic dabbed a drop shot to erase the first then banged a backhand winner down the line saving the second break point. Jovic worked through a tense nine-minute hold for 6-5 and shifted pressure onto Gauff’s shoulders.
The two-time Grand Slam champion could not find her first serve in the 12th game. Gauff committed two errors and her first double fault of the day to face double break point.
Pushed back by Jovic’s deep drive, Gauff flew a forehand long as the teenager took the 57-minute opener with a clenched fist toward her box.
Though Gauff went up the early second-set break, she suffered a letdown in her sloppiest game of the match. Gauff skipped a backhand off the tape and beyond the baseline gifting the break back to Jovic, who leveled 2-all. Jovic backed up the break at 30 for a 3-2 lead.
The Gauff forehand was leaking errors and Jovic kept attacking it drawing a floated forehand for match point at 40-30.
The match point was largely a forehand exchange. Gauff mixed a slice forehand with higher heavier topspin before Jovic stepped up tto try to end it but her forehand down the line expired into net.
Throughout the match, Jovic was moving smoothly, striking on balance but she tumbled twice to court, cutting her hand in the process, when serving for the match.
The rest of the game was hit-and-miss forehands from both women until Gauff flashed a forehand down the line for a this break point. A wild wide forehand from Jovic ended the game as Gauff broke back for 4-5 after one hour, 45 minutes.
During the ensuing changeover, Jovic took a medical timeout for treatment of a couple of cuts on her hand.
Losing the plot and her 5-3 lead spooked Jovic, who bumped a routine backhand volley into net giving Gauff double set point.
Wisely targeting the teen’s increasingly shaky forehand wing, Gauff drew a deep forehand error to cap a wild second set and force a decider after two hours, four minutes.
The pair traded breaks to start the third set.
A tricky rally featured a double net-cord exchange and ended with a Gauff diagonal forehand strike for another break point. Playing a high, heavy crosscourt forehand Gauff drew the forehand error scoring her fourth consecutive break for a 2-1 lead.
As the final set progressed, Gauff flipped the script and was winning more forehand crosscourt exchanges.
Midway through the set, Gauff took charge.
Navigating a deuce hold, Gauff stretched her lead to 4-2.
As her box exhorted her to “Be physical!”, Gauff grinded the teenager down. Jovic hit a double fault and a couple of errors dropping serve to fall behind 2-5.
Soaring through a love hold, Gauff closed in two hours, 45 minutes and will carry a 22-8 record into the quarterfinals.