Coco Gauff continues to ride the wave at the Italian Open after playing out an epic battle with Mirra Andreeva in Rome.
The two WTA youngsters could only be separated after two hours and 18 minutes, with Gauff eventually winning their quarterfinal tie.
She defeated the Russian 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to claim a third successive comeback win of her roller-coaster Italian Open run.
Gauff battled past Iva Jovic via the same method in the previous round, and indeed Solana Sierra in the round before that.
The WTA superstar now has eight comeback victories to her name this season, which simply highlights just how important she is to the sport of tennis.
Prove us wrong…
Coco Gauff proves she is exactly what tennis needs
Gauff is arguably the biggest superstar in women’s tennis right now, constantly attracting huge attention wherever she plays.
That is despite the fantastic consistency of a handful of her WTA rivals, namely world number one Aryna Sabalenka and number two Elena Rybakina.
In serving alone, Sabalenka is a huge hitter and Rybakina is robot-like with her consistency and ace-making, while Gauff is constantly called out for double faults.
But it also translates to her wider game, which is far from perfect for fans to watch, but is crucially the most entertaining.
And while Gauff would most likely be more like her rivals in that regard given their huge success, she has been able to forge her own path to greatness, which includes two Grand Slam titles.
The sheer drama she brings to the game was highlighted against Andreeva, where Gauff needed five match points before finally getting over the line, having also been up a double break with a 5-1 lead in the third set.
Her style is far from fashionable and is erratic at times, but her hunger and determination make for fantastic viewing.
Who is America’s best female player right now?
Role model Coco Gauff deserves praise for her overall approach
Importantly, Gauff isn’t a welcome addition to the WTA Tour solely for her efforts on the court, but also off it.
Despite being only 22 years old, the American youngster constantly shows fantastic maturity, composure and honesty about a wide range of issues, including her own game and the sport itself.
She belies her years with that attitude, even if there was an understandable outburst involving a smashed racket at this year’s Australian Open.
For the most part, however, she speaks well and handles the huge pressure on her shoulders admirably, often setting an example to those both younger and older.
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