Madrid Open: Clinical Gauff dispatches Andreeva to surge into semi-finals

Coco Gauff, the No 4 seed, moved into the semi-finals of the Madrid Open by winning against Mirra Andreeva, the No 7 seed, 7-5, 6-1 at the Caja Mágica.

The American looked in a spot of trouble when Andreeva stepped to the baseline to serve for a one-set lead at 5-4.

But two consecutive breaks either side of a hold saw Gauff snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in that opening set.

From there, the 2023 US Open champion never looked back, sprinting to the finish line with another two breaks without reply to knock out her dangerous young opponent and move into the semi-finals.

Gauff, ranked No 4, will face Pole Iga Swiatek, the second seed, next.

Earlier in the tournament, the 21-year-old American defeated Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska (0-6, 6-2, 7-5), Ann Li (6-2, 6-3) and Swiss Belinda Bencic (6-4, 6-2).

Andreeva, ranked No 7, beat Marie Bouzkova (6-3, 6-4), Pole Magdalena Frech, the No 27 seed (7-5, 6-3) and Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva (6-1, 6-4) in the previous rounds of the Madrid tournament.

Madrid WTA 1000, other last-eight results (Caja Mágica, clay, EUR 7.854.000, most recent results first):

• Aryna Sabalenka vs. Marta Kostyuk
• Moyuka Uchijima vs. Elina Svitolina
• Iga Swiatek beat Madison Keys (5): 0-6, 6-3, 6-2