The match began late Thursday (15 May) and concluded in the early hours of Friday morning. Gauff, the world No. 3, held her nerve to win 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) after three hours and 32 minutes on Rome’s Campo Centrale.
The final set was a rollercoaster. Both players broke serve, and Zheng served for the match at 5-3 but couldn’t close it out. Gauff eventually sealed the win in a tiebreak, improving her head-to-head record against Zheng to 3-0. Their last meeting also came in Rome, during the quarter-finals earlier this year.
As the last point was won, Gauff shouted with joy, thumped her chest, and saluted the crowd. Many fans had stayed late into the night to watch the thrilling match.
“It means a lot,” Gauff told the crowd. “Thank you guys for staying late; I don’t know what time it is. I just told myself, ‘Leave it all out there.’ I’m proud.”
The match was filled with intensity and errors, with 19 breaks of serve in total. Gauff had 27 winners to Zheng’s 22, and her stronger service game proved key.
Earlier in the day, local favorite Jasmine Paolini beat American Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 to book her place in the final. Paolini is the first Italian woman to reach the Rome final since 2014, when Serena Williams defeated Sara Errani — now Paolini’s doubles partner.
The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday (17 May). The Italian Open is the last major tournament before the French Open begins in Paris on 25 May.
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