Gauff and Paolini to meet again in Cincinnati quarterfinals after swift round of 16 wins

Coco Gauff is set to play her third Masters 1000 quarterfinal this year in Cincinnati, following her runs in Madrid and Rome, where she reached the final. In Rome, she was defeated by Jasmine Paolini, who is precisely her next opponent in the quarterfinals at the Western & Southern Open. Both players opened Thursday’s schedule with swift wins.

Gauff defeated Italy’s world No. 61, Lucia Bronzetti, without really giving her opponent a chance, winning 6-2, 6-4. She secured an early break in both sets. A brief lapse allowed Bronzetti to level at 2-2 in the second set, but Gauff, outstanding especially on return, accelerated again to clear the hurdle comfortably in 80 minutes.

The American, who won in Ohio in 2023, will face another Italian, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini. Paolini was even more dominant against Barbora Krejcikova—now ranked No. 80—beating her 6-1, 6-2.

2-2 between Gauff and Paolini

Paolini had to contend with a left foot injury and took a medical timeout at 3-0 down in the second set, describing the problem as a plantar arch issue that extended up to her knee. Despite playing for 45 minutes, Krejcikova struggled with mobility and grimaced throughout.

The head-to-head between Gauff and Paolini stands at 2-2. Paolini won their last two matches on clay, while Gauff won the two preceding encounters on hard courts, including the quarterfinals of Cincinnati 2023.