"I couldn’t love what I’m seeing more right now" - Andy Roddick lauds Coco Gauff's progress since partnering with Andre Agassi's ex-coach Brad Gilbert

Andy Roddick has showered praise on the visible improvements in Coco Gauff's game since enlisting the guidance of his and Andre Agassi's former coach, Brad Gilbert.

Gauff's partnership with Gilbert, which began during her campaign at the Citi Open earlier this month, yielded immediate success as she won her biggest career title at the WTA 500 event in Washington that week.

The American has carried her impressive form forward into her campaign at the Cincinnati Open, having advanced to the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event without dropping a set.

During an appearance on the Tennis Channel, Roddick discussed Gilbert's influence on Gauff's game. The former World No. 1 lauded the Australian's coaching style, highlighting his skill in simplifying complex concepts.

"Brad is a genius at taking very complex things and simplifying them. We’re going to focus on these two things out of the gate and we’re going to do it all practice right. Then those things are covered, three days later we’re going to add in something else. He’s very good at layering in information and simplifying gameplay," Roddick said.

Roddick hailed Gilbert's strategic brilliance, underscoring the 62-year-old's ability to identify and distinguish between shots players hit routinely and the ones they hit under pressure.

"He’s a master strategist, there’ll be no shot that any one of the opponents is going to hit, there's one they hit sometimes and one they hit under pressure, he’s very good at finding the differentiators between those two because they’re not always the same," he added.

The 40-year-old also pointed out the visible improvements to Gauff's game under Gilbert's tutelage, particularly praising her improved net play and more versatile groundstrokes.

"Her being able to get in and coming into the net, I feel like she’s making those decisions before she’s actually hitting an approach shot. There’s a sense of commitment to it all. Sticking the forehand cross court, taking big swings on the backhand, mixing up pace up the line, I just couldn’t love what I’m seeing from Coco Gauff more right now," he said.

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Coco Gauff set to lock horns with Iga Swiatek in Cincinnati Open SF

Coco Gauff advances to the Western & Southern Open SF

Coco Gauff defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 12 minutes to advance to the semifinals of the 2023 Cincinnati Open. With her win, the 19-year-old became the first teenager to make the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event since Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in 2010.

The American is set to battle it out with top seed Iga Swiatek for a place in the final on Saturday, August 19. The Pole defeated Marketa Vondrousova 7-6(3), 6-1 to book her spot against the seventh seed.

Swiatek dominates her head-to-head record against Coco Gauff, having won each of their seven tour-level encounters. Should the American secure her first win over the World No. 1, she will take on the winner of the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova in the final.