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American Taylor Townsend: Coco Gauff recovered from a sluggish start and a third-set scare to defeat Argentina’s Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 and book her place in the Round of 16 at the Italian Open 2026 in Rome on Saturday.

The third-seeded American was pushed hard by the world No. 72 in a tense third-round clash that lasted two hours and 10 minutes on the clay courts of the Foro Italico. After dropping the opening set, Gauff responded emphatically by blanking Sierra in the second before producing a stirring comeback in the decider to keep her Rome campaign alive.

Gauff had started brightly, racing to a 2-0 lead in the first set, but struggled to maintain consistency as Sierra fought back strongly. The Argentine earned a crucial break in the 11th game and then held serve to close out the opener 7-5, leaving the American visibly frustrated. In a moment that quickly made the rounds on social media, Gauff tapped herself on the head with her racket after conceding the set.