Gauff reaches last eight at Cincinnati Open

World number two Coco Gauff beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-2 6-4 to book her place in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.

The two players had progressed to the last 16 in contrasting ways, with Gauff having won her only match in straight sets before a walkover against Dayana Yastremska in last round.

Bronzetti, on the other hand, had come through in three sets in her previous three rounds and the world number 61 quickly found herself 3-0 down.

Gauff was broken in the fifth game but it proved a brief blip as she went on to win the opening set in 33 minutes.

The American went 2-0 up in the second set but suffered another lapse when she was broken to love by the Italian in the third game.

Bronzetti raised her game and had a break point at 2-2, only to send a backhand return long as Gauff managed to hold.

The second set was a more competitive affair but Bronzetti double-faulted twice when serving to stay in the match and Gauff went on to break and secure victory.

"For the most part I played aggressive," said Gauff, who won the Cincinnati Open in 2023 before going on to win the US Open that year.

"Maybe there were a couple that were a little bit passive in some of those games but it's tough - the balls are super light and she wasn't giving me much pace.

"I was just trying to play controlled but also aggressive and, for the most part, I think I did well."

Gauff will play the winner of the match between Italian Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic in the next round.