Gauff Aims to Ruin Andreeva’s Birthday Celebration
Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva were the only players to avoid the disruptions and successfully advance from their fourth-round matches, setting up an exciting quarter-final clash.
Gauff holds a 2-0 record against Andreeva, with both previous victories coming in 2023 at Roland-Garros and the US Open.
However, Andreeva is a far more formidable opponent now, having captured back-to-back WTA 1000 titles earlier this season in Dubai and Indian Wells, propelling her to No. 7 in the world rankings.
The rising star will celebrate her 18th birthday on Tuesday, hoping to mark the occasion by reaching the Madrid semi-finals for the first time.
“It’s really special; I was also here in the quarter-finals last year, and now I’m aiming to go even further,” said Andreeva, who eased past Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-1, 6-4 in the last 16.
“I’m used to playing on my birthday; this will be my third time. Nothing will change in my approach — I’ll just focus on my game. But after the match, I’ll try to celebrate a little with my dad, since we share the same birthday.”
Meanwhile, fourth seed Gauff broke new ground by reaching the Madrid quarter-finals for the first time, defeating Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-2.
“I think today was definitely a step forward. I felt good on court, especially with my serve, which I think made the difference today. Every match I’m feeling more comfortable,” said Gauff, who narrowly escaped Dayana Yastremska in her opener before dispatching Ann Li and Bencic.
Previewing her match against Andreeva, Gauff added: “She’s obviously doing really well. I think her breakthrough started here, and she’s kept improving every year. It’s going to be a fun but tough match.”
