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Coco Gauff vs Sorana Cirstea Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Gauff set for another three-set thriller in semis
- Coco Gauff vs Sorana Cirstea predictions for Thursday's WTA Rome semi-final
- Gauff repeatedly pulling off comeback victories in Rome - another long match predicted
- Cirstea on the verge of top 20 breakthrough - but she's 0-3 vs Gauff
- The match is scheduled to start around 11.00pm AEST on Thursday May 14
Expired
Coco Gauff (Photo by Getty Images)
Coco Gauff vs Sorana Cirstea Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Coco Gauff aims to return to the Italian Open final when she comes up against resurgent veteran Sorana Cirstea in the semi-finals in Rome on Thursday.
Gauff has made history in Rome this tournament, becoming the first player since 1989 to recover from a set down to win three consecutive matches, with the American staging fantastic comebacks against Solana Sierra, Iva Jovic and Mirra Andreeva. Gauff is flirting with danger, but her supreme athleticism and ability to grind and defend on clay is seeing her outlast and ultimately frustrate her opponents into submission.
Meanwhile, Cirstea is putting together an extraordinary season and making history of her own. The 36-year-old is the third-oldest player to make the semi-finals in Rome in the Open Era after Martina Navratilova in 1994 and Billie Jean King in 1982. Cirstea announced she would be retiring at the end of the year, but is now seemingly playing with more freedom and without pressure - and sensationally, one more win here would see her make a top 20 debut.
It's shaping as another thrilling contest in the Eternal City, but you've got to side with Gauff. She's won all three previous meetings between the pair, including a couple of weeks ago in Madrid. Interestingly, all three have also gone to a deciding set. Keeping in theme with Gauff's tournament, backing Over 20.5 total games, with the American digging out another three-set triumph at good value.
Gauff vs Cirstea Stats & Trends
- Gauff is 17-3 vs players outside the top 20 in 2026
- Gauff is 26-1 in her last 27 matches on clay vs players outside the top 20
- Gauff has seen Over 21.5 games in 13 of her last 17 matches
- Eight of Gauff's last 12 wins have been in three sets
- Gauff has won all three previous meetings between the pair
- All three previous meetings have gone to three sets
- Cirstea has lost 13 of her last 16 matches on clay vs top 10 players
- Cirstea has seen Over 20.5 games in her last four matches on clay vs top 10 players
Gauff vs Cirstea Head To Head
Gauff leads 3-0, winning all three encounters in a deciding set - including a fortnight ago in Madrid.
| Year | Tournament | Surface | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Madrid Open | Clay | Round of 32 | Coco Gauff | 4–6, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 2026 | Miami Open | Hard | Round of 16 | Coco Gauff | 6–4, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 2020 | Australian Open | Hard | Round of 64 | Coco Gauff | 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
Coco Gauff Form Analysis
- 2026 Record: 23-8
- WTA Rome Record: 21-6
- Current Ranking: No. 4
- Career-High Ranking: No. 2 (2024)
Gauff is still working her way toward top form as she prepares to defend her French Open crown.
While the season hasn’t been disappointing, there’s been a clear lack of consistency at the highest level. A runner-up finish in Miami remains her standout result, alongside a semi-final run in Dubai, but she hasn’t been able to string together dominant performances across multiple tournaments.
Her clay preparation took a hit in Madrid, where illness played a role in a round-of-16 defeat to Linda Noskova, leaving Rome as a key opportunity to build momentum.
With significant points to defend, Gauff has had to grind through the bulk of her matches. She opened with a controlled 6-3, 6-4 win over Tereza Valentova before showing resilience to recover from 0-3 down in the third set and defeat Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.
That pattern continued in the fourth round, where Gauff again found herself under pressure - trailing by a set and 3-5 against Iva Jovic. She saved a match point in the second set before turning the match around, eventually closing out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Gauff was forced to grind back from a set down once again in the quarter-finals, outlasting Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, eventually closing it out on her fifth match point to improve her record over the Russian teenager to 5-0.
Sorana Cirstea Form Analysis
- 2026 Record: 25-8
- WTA Rome Record: 9-8
- Current Ranking: No. 27
- Career-High Ranking: No. 23 (2013)
You won't find many better stories so far in 2026 than Cirstea's - the Romanian is sensationally one victory away from eclipsing her career-high ranking from all the way back in 2013 and cracking the top 20 for the first time, all in her final year on tour.
Cirstea has joked that she'll reconsider retirement if she wins the Rome title and that joke may actually turn into reality.
It's been a remarkably consistent season for Cirstea, highlighted by winning a fourth WTA title at home in Cluj and she's gone to another level in Rome this week.
The 36-year-old stunned World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-3 7-5 in the third round and hasn't looked back since, conquering Linda Noskova 6-2 6-4 before downing Jelena Ostapenko 6-1 7-6(0).
Cirstea recovered from 3-5 down in the second set to race through the tiebreak, advancing to just a fourth WTA 1000 semi-final. The Romanian will be aiming to reach her first final at this level since her breakthrough in Toronto in 2013.
Gauff vs Cirstea Live Stream
Watch and bet on Coco Gauff vs Sorana Cirstea live tennis from Rome.
You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > WTA Rome with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.
Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.
Verdict
Another long match featuring Gauff is tipped for the semi-finals, with the American digging out another three-set victory.
Over 20.5
Total Games
$1.80 - 3 Units
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Gauff 2-1
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