Gauff triumphs over Zheng to reach Rome final
Coco Gauff outlasted Olympic champion Zheng Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4), winning in a final-set tiebreak, to reach her first career final of the Italian Open
- ROME — Coco Gauff outlasted Olympic champion Zheng Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3),
4-6, 7-6(4), winning in a final-set tiebreak, to reach her first career final
of the Italian Open.
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- The match that lasted three hours and 32 minutes was not
only the longest of Gauff's career, but also on the WTA Tour this year.
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- Gauff had previously been 0-2 in the semifinals in Rome,
having never won a set in those matches. And she was nearly handed more Italian
heartbreak from a set ahead this time around, as Zheng was two points from
becoming the first Chinese woman since Li Na in 2012 to play for the trophy
after she turned around an absorbing final set that lasted more than 80 minutes
on its own -- from being a break down twice, WTA reports.
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- "I was just trying to go for every point. I knew
before it was going to be a physical match. Last time we played was over three
hours. Overall I'm just happy. Wasn't my best level at all, to be honest. Just
happy to get through it and through to another final," Gauff said.
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- "The whole match for me the court was so slow.
Especially when the ball after like two games, they're so heavy. This was my
second night match. My first one was first round. I was playing someone
completely different game style. Yeah, it was tough.
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- "I think we're both struggling trying to hit through
each other. I think in Riyadh we had a little bit more winners, aggressiveness.
Today we were trying, but the ball wasn't going anywhere," Gauff added.
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- She will face home favorite, top-ranked Italian Jasmine
Paolini, in the final in an effort to become the first U.S. player to win the
singles title at the WTA 1000 event since Serena Williams beat Madison Keys in
that all-American championship match.
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- Gauff leads Paolini 2-1 in their head-to-head -- but
Paolini won their only clay-court meeting last month in Stuttgart.
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- Earlier in the day, Paolini Paolini became the third
Italian woman in the Open Era to reach the Italian Open final after coming from
4-1 down in the first set, saving two set points, to defeat Peyton Stearns 7-5,
6-1 in 1 hour and 39 minutes.
