Coco Gauff advanced to her first Italian Open final after edging Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) in a dramatic semi-final that stretched over three and a half hours in Rome on Thursday.
The 20-year-old American survived a nervy contest full of momentum shifts and unforced errors, holding her nerve in a tense final-set tiebreak to seal victory and reach back-to-back WTA 1000 finals.
Zheng had rallied from a set down and came within two points of victory, but Gauff capitalised on the Chinese star’s struggles on serve to turn the match in her favour.
Gauff will now face home favourite Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s final. The Italian eased past American Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 to become the first local player in a Rome final since 2014.
