Raducanu's Rome run ended by classy Gauff

Emma Raducanu's encouraging Italian Open tally came to an extremity successful the past 16 arsenic satellite fig 3 Coco Gauff proved excessively overmuch of a measurement up successful class.

Raducanu, ranked 49th successful the world, mislaid 6-1 6-2 connected the Rome clay to American Gauff.

For the archetypal clip successful her career, the British fig 2 had won 3 clay-court matches successful a enactment to scope the 4th circular successful the Italian capital.

But immoderate hopes she could origin a daze against 21-year-old Gauff were soon extinguished.

Like Raducanu successful 2021, Gauff's sole large triumph truthful acold came connected the hard courts of the US Open 2 years agone but connected Monday she emphasised wherefore she is besides a unit connected the reddish dirt.

Gauff, who reached the French Open last 3 years ago, returned superbly from the commencement and besides dug heavy successful work games erstwhile required.

"Emma is simply a pugnacious hostile nary substance what aboveground and ever pugnacious to play - truthful I'm blessed with however I played," Gauff, a finalist connected the Madrid clay past week, told Sky Sports.

"My level is getting amended each lucifer and Madrid was a measurement successful the close direction.

"Today I deliberation my forehand was a large weapon, acceptable maine up for a batch of abbreviated balls and a batch of bully points."

"I conscionable cognize that each time I'm trying to beryllium the champion mentation of myself, I'm trying to triumph the day, and I'm trying to get backmost to that," Raducanu said.

"I didn't triumph connected the lucifer tribunal contiguous but I'm going to find a mode to triumph the time inactive today. It was a pugnacious 1 astatine the office, I conscionable person to instrumentality a batch of positives."

Clay is simply a aboveground which does not travel people to Raducanu.

Like astir British players, the 22-year-old Briton had little vulnerability to the reddish ungraded successful her formative years and lacks acquisition connected these courts arsenic a professional.

Raducanu's gathering against Gauff was lone the 21st clay-court lucifer of her vocation - compared to 81 connected hard courts and 20 connected the grass.

Therefore, it is nary astonishment she is inactive - by her ain accord - uncovering her feet connected the surface.

Beating Australian teen Maya Joint, Swiss fortunate loser Jil Teichmann and Russia's Veronika Kudermetova to scope the Rome past 16 represented coagulated progress.

Facing Gauff was a antithetic proposition - and proved to beryllium a reminder of the spread which exists betwixt Raducanu and the world's best.

While Raducanu's question has improved connected the clay, Gauff's high-bouncing returns and value of changeable proved hard to header with.

Raducanu did regularly negociate to get herself into the points, but the American's outstanding athleticism meant it was hard for the Briton to dictate them.

Nevertheless, Raducanu volition caput to the French Open - which starts connected 25 May - successful a affirmative framework of mind.

Since bringing Mark Petchey into her coaching squad connected an informal basis, Raducanu has chopped a much relaxed, happier fig astatine tournaments and it has allowed her crippled to flourish.

She has won 8 of her 11 matches with Petchey, moving alongside Raducanu's long-time state Jane O'Donoghue, successful her corner.

How agelong the concern volition past remains uncertain.

Tennis commentator Petchey and O'Donoghue - who is taking a sabbatical from her occupation successful concern - bash not look to beryllium semipermanent solutions, adjacent if Raducanu volition beryllium keen to support what is proving to beryllium an encouraging dynamic.

Following a tricky fewer seasons marred by physical and intelligence difficulties, Raducanu's dependable resurgence has moved her backmost into the world's apical 50.

If she had beaten Gauff, the erstwhile satellite fig 10 would person reclaimed the British fig 1 ranking from Katie Boulter aft the Italian Open.

Raducanu is presently 49th successful the WTA standings, but different triumph would person pushed her into the apical 40 - and supra Boulter, who mislaid successful the Rome archetypal round.

Boulter, who took implicit arsenic the nation's starring women's subordinate successful July 2023, recently told BBC Sport that she doesn't "feel immoderate pressure".

But it is not conscionable Raducanu who is closing in.

It is simply a three-way conflict with Sonay Kartal, who has surged up the rankings implicit the past twelvemonth and reached a career-high 59th, pushing Boulter and Raducanu.