Did Gauff Overcome Zheng to Secure Rome Final?

Rome, May 16 (NationPress) Coco Gauff triumphed over Olympic champion Zheng Zheng Qinwen with a score of 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4), clinching victory in a decisive final-set tiebreak to advance to her inaugural Italian Open final.

The match endured for a remarkable three hours and 32 minutes, marking it not only as the longest of Gauff's career but also the lengthiest on the WTA Tour this year.

Previously, Gauff had faced a 0-2 record in Rome semifinals, lacking even a single set win in those encounters. Almost facing another Italian setback after leading, Zheng was just two points shy of becoming the first Chinese woman since Li Na in 2012 to compete for the title, having recovered from being a break down twice in a gripping final set that itself extended over 80 minutes, according to WTA reports.

"I was focused on winning every point. I anticipated a physical match. Our last encounter exceeded three hours. Overall, I'm just glad to have progressed. Honestly, it wasn't my best performance, but I'm relieved to have made it to another final," Gauff expressed.

"The court felt quite slow for me throughout the match. Especially after a couple of games, the balls felt heavy. This was my second night match. My first was in the opening round against a player with a completely different style. It was challenging.

"Both of us struggled to hit through each other. In Riyadh, we had more winners and aggressiveness. Today, we tried, but the balls weren't traveling well," Gauff added.

She will compete against home favorite and top-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini in the final, aiming to become the first U.S. player to seize the singles title at this WTA 1000 event since Serena Williams triumphed over Madison Keys in an all-American final.

Gauff holds a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head but lost their sole meeting on clay last month in Stuttgart.

Earlier that day, Paolini made history by becoming the third Italian woman in the Open Era to reach the final of the Italian Open, overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the first set and saving two set points to defeat Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 in 1 hour and 39 minutes.

Paolini progresses to her eighth career final, and her fourth at the WTA 1000 level or higher following events in Dubai, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon last year. She stands as the first Italian woman to reach the final in Rome since her doubles partner Sara Errani in 2014 and will strive to become the first home champion since Raffaella Reggi defeated Vicki Nelson-Dunbar for the title in 1985.