World number two Coco Gauff beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 6-4 to book her place in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.

The two players had progressed to the last 16 in contrasting ways, with Gauff having won her only match in straight sets before a walkover against Dayana Yastremska in the last round.

Bronzetti, on the other hand, had come through in three sets in her previous three rounds, and the world number 61 quickly found herself 3-0 down.

Gauff was broken in the fifth game, but it proved a brief blip as she went on to win the opening set in 33 minutes.

The American went 2-0 up in the second set but suffered another lapse when she was broken to love by the Italian in the third game.

Bronzetti raised her game and had a break point at 2-2, only to send a backhand return long as Gauff managed to hold.

The second set was a more competitive affair, but Bronzetti double-faulted twice when serving to stay in the match, and Gauff went on to break and secure victory.

"For the most part, I played aggressively," said Gauff, who won the Cincinnati Open in 2023 before going on to win the US Open that year.

"Maybe there were a couple that were a little bit passive in some of those games, but it's tough - the balls are super light and she wasn't giving me much pace.

"I was just trying to play controlled but also aggressive, and, for the most part, I think I did well."

Gauff will next face Italy's Jasmine Paolini, who won 6-1, 6-2 against Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Krejcikova, who needed a medical timeout in the second set, was beaten in 71 minutes.

"I think she wasn't at 100%, but she's an unbelievable player," said Paolini.

"She can put the ball wherever she wants every time. I don't know how she does this. But I'm happy that I tried to stay there mentally until the last point."