Rome: Seventh seed Elina Svitolina battled past third seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 after two hours and 49 minutes in the women’s singles final, capturing her third Italian Open title on Saturday.
Svitolina advanced to the final after defeating second seed Elena Rybakina and fourth seed Iga Swiatek in consecutive rounds. Facing last year’s runner-up Gauff, the Ukrainian found herself under pressure early and trailed 4-2 in the opening set.
The turning point came in the eighth game, when Gauff double-faulted twice after building a 40-0 lead, allowing Svitolina to break back. The Ukrainian then saved three break points in the ninth game to hold serve before taking the set 6-4.
The second set turned into a tight battle. Gauff earned a crucial break in the 11th game, but Svitolina broke back immediately when the American served for the set, forcing a tiebreak. Gauff raised her level in the tiebreak and claimed it 7-3 to level the match at one set apiece.
Svitolina regained control in the deciding set by breaking in the fifth and seventh games. Serving for the championship, she saved three break points before sealing victory with a backhand volley. The triumph marked her third singles title in Rome and the 20th WTA singles title of her career.
“Definitely was an extremely tough battle,” Svitolina said after her win. “I’m very happy with the way I could handle my nerves, not only today but also throughout this tournament. I think the two weeks, it’s been tough, but I’m very happy with the way I’ve been playing, the way my body been reacting on these tough matches. Just very proud of the effort.” IANS
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