The remaining quarterfinals at the 2025 WTA Rome Open will be played on Wednesday, May 14 as Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka lead the action. You can get the best predictions and tips for the day from this tournament here.
Coco Gauff v Mirra Andreeva
Coco Gauff holds a perfect 3–0 edge over Mirra Andreeva, winning all three of their previous meetings – most recently in the Madrid Open quarter-finals in 2025 and earlier at the 2023 French Open and 2023 US Open.
Gauff’s game is built around an aggressive baseline assault. She describes her style as “as aggressive as possible with a big serve,” relying on quickness, athleticism and a high-kick forehand to push opponents behind the baseline.
Her two-handed backhand has matured into a reliable counter-punch weapon, and her willingness to finish points at the net adds an extra dimension rarely seen among top-10 players.
Andreeva, by contrast, is a strategic variety player who combines flat, penetrating groundstrokes with well-disguised drop-shots and angled slices. Power isn’t her strength but on clay that allows her to outmaneuver heavy hitters and extend rallies until the moment is right.
Coached by Conchita Martínez, Andreeva’s two-handed backhand has become a second forehand, capable of flipping defense into offense on any surface.
On clay, Gauff’s résumé includes a runner-up finish at Roland Garros 2022 and a finals appearance in Madrid 2025, part of a 9–2 mark on red dirt this season. She has blended spin and pace to reach two WTA 1000 finals and two Grand Slam semi-finals on clay in the past three years.
Andreeva owns a 7–2 clay-court record in 2025 and reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros 2024, signalling her rapid rise among the game’s elite.
This year, Gauff is 22–7 overall, highlighted by a powerful run to the Madrid Open final where she dispatched Emma Raducanu in straight sets before falling to Aryna Sabalenka. In Rome she has navigated early rounds without dropping a set.
Andreeva is 27–6 on the season, conquering Clara Tauson in a three-set marathon to reach the quarter-finals in Rome and building on her Indian Wells and Dubai 1000 titles.
Tactically, Gauff will seek to dictate with her serve and forehand, keeping Andreeva on the defensive and preventing her from mixing up pace. Andreeva must extend rallies, deploy her drop-shots to unsettle Gauff’s rhythm, and target the American’s backhand under pressure.
With Gauff’s superior clay-court experience pitted against Andreeva’s fearless variety, this quarter-final promises high-octane drama.
Gauff v Andreeva Tip: Three sets in the match: 6/5
Aryna Sabalenka v Qinwen Zheng
Aryna Sabalenka holds a dominant 6–0 head-to-head advantage over Qinwen Zheng, having dropped just a set over those matches. They’ve never met on clay; their most recent clash came at the Miami Open in March 2025, where Sabalenka prevailed 6-2, 7-5.
Sabalenka’s game is built around raw power and aggression. At 1.82 m, she drives her big serve—often touching 200 km/h—to earn free points, then unleashes an early-strike forehand with heavy spin, pushing opponents deep behind the baseline.
Zheng, by contrast, is a model of strategic variety. The 22-year-old combines flat, penetrating groundstrokes with deft drop-shots and angled slices to disrupt rhythm. Coached by Pere Riba and later by Wim Fissette, she’s honed a two-handed backhand that she uses as a punch-back weapon and to change the pace mid-rally, frustrating power hitters in extended exchanges.
On red clay, Sabalenka’s résumé is becoming more and more outstanding which includes an 8–1 mark so far in 2025. A finals appearances in Stuttgart and a WTA 1000 title in Madrid (def. Gauff).
Zheng’s clay CV is still growing—she won Olympic gold on clay in Paris 2024 and reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals the same year—while posting a 5–2 clay record this season.
In 2025, Sabalenka has compiled a 27–6 overall ledger, cementing her No. 1 ranking with consistency across surfaces. She kicked off the year by reaching the Stuttgart final, then captured her third Madrid crown with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Coco Gauff.
Zheng, after a slow start, has surged to 12–7 overall, highlighted by wins at Indian Wells and Dubai, and navigated her toughest tests here in Rome with wins over Raducanu and Tauson.
Tactically, Sabalenka will look to overpower Zheng with heavy serves and forehands, preventing the Chinese teenager from deploying her variety.
Zheng must extend rallies, mix in sharp drop-shots and target Sabalenka’s backhand under pressure, hoping to draw unforced errors from the Belarusian. In a battle of brute force versus tactical guile, Sabalenka’s clay-court mastery and recent form make her the strong favorite.
Sabalenka v Zheng Tip: Sabalenka to win in straight sets: 5/6
