Alcaraz and Gauff: Rising Stars Shine in Italian Open

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz triumphantly advanced to the Italian Open semi-finals by defeating Briton Jack Draper 6-4 6-4. The third seed and four-time Grand Slam champion displayed a strong performance with 24 winners, crucial ahead of his French Open title defense.

Alcaraz, despite early nerves, successfully overpowered Draper by staying aggressive and employing clever drop shots. In women's singles, world number three Coco Gauff celebrated a 6-4 7-6(5) win over seventh seed Mirra Andreeva to also reach the semi-finals.

Gauff made a confident start, dominating the first set, while Andreeva fought back in the second. However, Gauff, a more experienced player, leveraged her skillset to win a tightly contested tiebreaker, maintaining her semi-final streak in Rome.

(With inputs from agencies.)