Coco Gauff needed three hours to earn a hard-fought victory over Zheng Qinwen in their Italian Open semifinal in Rome on Thursday.
In a rematch of the 2024 WTA Finals showpiece match that also took more than 180 minutes to complete and won by the American, Gauff came back from a 3-5 deficit in the deciding set to win 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) in three hours and 32 minutes.
“I knew before it was going to be a physical match. Last time we played was over three hours,” the 2023 US Open winner said.
“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.”
The world No. 3’s run at Foro Italico comes just a fortnight after she also reached the final of the Madrid Open, a match she lost in straight sets against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Aged just 21, Gauff is now the youngest player to reach both the Madrid and Rome finals since the inception of the Spanish tournament in 2009.
In Spain she beat five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek in the semi-final and rising star Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-final. Andreeva was also beaten in the last eight in Rome while she got the better of 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu in the fourth round.
The American, who has two WTA 1000 titles to her name as she won the 2023 Cincinnati Open and the 2024 China Open, is the third youngest player after Caroline Wozniacki and Iga Swiatek to reach four WTA 1000 finals since 2009.
Gauff is looking to become the 10th American woman to win the Italian Open trophy and the first since Serena Williams in 2016. Other American greats who have lifted the trophy are Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Monica Seles and Venus Williams.
The youngster looked to be headed for a semi-final exit when Zheng broke to go 3-5 up in the third set as the eighth seed came out to serve for the match, but Gauff dominated the next game and broke back before it went to a tie-breaker, before she wrapped up the match.
The 21-year-old has now won eight out of 10 in decisive tie-breakers since the start of her career, including victories in the last three.
The American will take on Jasmine Paolini – who beat Peyton Stearns in straight sets – in the final in Rome and she knows the fans at Foro Italico will be back her opponent.
“I think especially here with the home crowd behind her, she’s going to be playing some great tennis. I have to expect that,” Gauff said. “Hopefully, I can bring a better level and hopefully win the title.
