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Coco Gauff overcame sickness and a set deficit to battle into the Madrid Open last 16 as illness continued to disrupt the tournament.
Coco Gauff overcame illness and a major deficit to book her place in the fourth round of the Madrid Open, fighting back from a set and a break down to defeat Sorana Cirstea 4-6 7-5 6-1.
The American third seed looked in serious trouble, both on the scoreboard and physically. Midway through the second set, Gauff vomited courtside into a bin before taking a medical timeout as she battled what she later described as the illness affecting several players in Madrid.
After receiving treatment, the reigning French Open champion gradually found her footing. What began as a struggle simply to stay on court turned into a dominant finish, with Gauff racing through the deciding set to seal victory and reach the Madrid last 16 for the third straight year.
Speaking afterwards, Gauff said she was unsure how she had managed to get through the match, explaining that medication helped settle her stomach, although fatigue and nausea remained throughout the contest.
Illness has become an unwelcome subplot at the tournament. Iga Swiatek retired from her match against Ann Li after reporting no energy, while Marin Cilic and Liudmila Samsonova also withdrew because of sickness.
Gauff will next face Linda Noskova as she continues her clay-court build-up ahead of Roland Garros, where she returns as defending champion. Her recent Madrid record is strong, having reached last year's final before losing to world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
In the men's draw, Cameron Norrie advanced with a 7-5 7-6 (7-5) win over Thiago Agustin Tirante, setting up a first career meeting with top-ranked Jannik Sinner.
Sinner, who defeated Elmer Moller 6-2 6-3, extended his winning streak to 19 matches after titles at Indian Wells, the Miami Open and the Monte Carlo Masters.
Elsewhere, fifth seed Jessica Pegula exited the women's draw after a straight-sets loss to Marta Kostyuk.