Italian Open 2026: Coco Gough shows spirit to beat Eva Jovic in Rome

Goff’s main emotion may have been pride, but his relief to avoid another clay-court exit after Stuttgart’s quarter-final and last-16 loss to Madrid was palpable.

Struggling with her footwork and misfiring with her forehand, Goff was well short of her best in the first two sets.

But, after Jovic missed a match point with a hard forehand at the net, the 17th-ranked teenager was further distracted by a cut on her finger after falling earlier on the red dirt.

Goff took full advantage by showing the unflinching spirit that has catapulted her to the top of the women’s game.

A dazed Jovic was clearly uncomfortable with his grip and it contributed to a number of errors as Goff – who said he was dealing with “difficult” off-court issues at the moment – quickly turned the second set in his favour.

Goff had yet to play clearly in the decisive team, but knew the importance of getting the ball back into play with regularity and the importance of Jovic’s problems.

Jovic, who reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, continued to hit loose and his first serve dropped – as the pair exchanged serves for five breaks – before Goff settled himself to win the final three games.

“My previous round I wasn’t good mentally on the court and it was a complete 180. It shows I can be positive for the most part,” Gough told Sky Sports.