Daijiworld Media Network - Rome

Rome, May 17: Seventh seed Elina Svitolina secured her third Italian Open title after defeating third seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 in a thrilling women’s singles final that lasted two hours and 49 minutes on Saturday.

Svitolina entered the final in impressive form, having already eliminated second seed Elena Rybakina and fourth seed Iga Swiatek in back-to-back matches earlier in the tournament.

The Ukrainian faced early pressure in the final and fell behind 4-2 in the opening set against last year’s runner-up Gauff. However, momentum shifted dramatically in the eighth game when Gauff committed two double faults after racing to a 40-0 advantage, allowing Svitolina to break back.

Svitolina then showed resilience by saving three break points in the following game before going on to claim the opening set 6-4.

The second set developed into a closely fought contest. Gauff managed a vital break in the 11th game and appeared set to force a decider, but Svitolina responded immediately by breaking back as the American served for the set. The set eventually moved into a tiebreak, where Gauff elevated her game and won 7-3 to level the match.

In the deciding set, Svitolina regained command by breaking Gauff’s serve in the fifth and seventh games. While serving for the championship, she saved three break points before finishing the match with a decisive backhand volley.

The victory marked Svitolina’s third singles title in Rome and the 20th WTA singles trophy of her professional career.

Speaking after the win, Svitolina described the final as an “extremely tough battle” and said she was satisfied with how she managed pressure and nerves throughout the tournament.

Meanwhile, in the men’s competition, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner completed his rain-delayed semifinal against seventh seed Daniil Medvedev with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory to book a place in Sunday’s final.

Sinner will now face 23rd seed Casper Ruud in the championship match.