By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, May 9, 2026
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Facebook

Streaks of slide marks etched the dirt like routes on a red clay map.

Trailing 0-3 in the final set, Coco Gauff covered the court relentlessly rallying past Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 into the Rome round of 16 today.

The 2025 Rome runner-up overcame festering frustration, a sharp Sierra and that third-set deficit showing why staying power is one of her best assets. Gauff, who converted nine of 23 break points today, improved to 21-9 in three-set matches over the last two seasons.

The third-seeded Gauff will play a compatriot, either 16th-seeded Iva Jovic or Taylor Townsend, for a quarterfinal spot.

Though Gauff stomped Sierra, 6-1, 6-1, in their lone prior meeting on the hard court of the United Cup in January, the 72nd-ranked Argentinean turned the tables on Rome’s red clay today.

Sierra held at love to level the opening set after 10 games then pounded away at the Gauff forehand breaking for 6-5. Sierra rallied from Love-30 down winning four points in a row to snatch a one-set lead.

A revitalized Gauff tore through the shutout second set on the strength of three straight service breaks, dishing out the bagel to force a decider.

In the final set, Sierra came out cracking drives into the corners in taking a 3-0 lead. Slapping her palm against her leg as if trying to jump-start her game, Gauff broke back at love in the fourth game.

That break sparked a run of five games in a row as Gauff took charge and earned a match point on serve at 5-3. Sierra saved it and scored her sixth break to narrow the gap to 4-5.

Sierra, who reached the Madrid round of 16 this month, saved a second match point in the 10th game. Gauff gained a third match point and Sierra spit up her fourth double fault to end it.