Twice gauff

Coco Gauff: World No. 4 Coco Gauff made a confident return to action at the Italian Open, defeating Czech teenager Tereza Valentova 6-3, 6-4 in the second round on Thursday. The third-seeded American, who arrived in Rome after struggling with illness during the Madrid Open, showed resilience and composure on the clay courts despite an inconsistent serving performance.

Gauff needed one hour and 34 minutes to seal victory and book her place in the round of 16 of the prestigious WTA 1000 event.

The 21-year-old had endured a difficult outing in Madrid, where she suffered from food poisoning and was visibly unwell during her defeat to Linda Noskova in the fourth round. However, the defending French Open champion looked far more settled in Rome as she continued preparations for her Roland-Garros title defence later this month.