Photo credit: Tiziani Fabi/AFP/Getty
Italian fans bounced up and down in celebratory joy turning Court Centrale into a bounce house.
Jazz rocked Rome with a rousing red clay title run.
A spirited Jasmine Paolini broke to open both sets, crushing Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 becoming the second Italian woman to win Rome.
"It's pure joy to have this trophy in my hands here in Rome at home," Paolin said. "Really happy about it and grateful, as well."
It was a near-flawless performance from the 29-year-old Paolini, the first Italian woman to raise the Rome crown since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. Scoring her second straight clay-court win over Gauff in the last two months, Paolini is the oldest woman to win a maiden Rome crown in the Open Era.
Playing with poise, purpose and passion, Paolini was on fire from the outset seizing double-break leads in both sets and never trailing in a one hour, 29-minute master class of championship tennis.
The 2024 Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist dropped just one set in six tournament wins, including knocking off a pair of major champions in 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko and 2023 US Open champion Gauff, along the way.
Sun broke through the drizzly day when Paolini served out her biggest championship snapping a 40-year Italian title drought in the Eternal City with the perpetual smile that never seems to leave her face.
The Paolini party is not over yet.
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Paolini, who celebrated by running to her box to high-five her parents and doubles partner Sara Errani before twirling around the terre battue in victory, is the first Italian woman since Errani in 2014 to reach both Rome singles and doubles final. She’ll play for the double championship sweep tomorrow.
Across the net, Gauff, who carried an imposing 9-2 finals record into today’s title match looked listless after fighting off Olympic singles gold-medal champion Zheng Qinwen in an epic three hour, 32-minute semifinal.
Today, Gauff’s legs were lacking and her serve was missing when she needed it most. Gauff served 53 percent, slapped seven double faults and repeatedly flat-lined drives into the net committing an unsightly 55 unforced errors in 18 games. You can't litter than many errors in two sets against a Top 10 opponent and expect to win a WTA 1000 championship.
“I’ve had a great time here in Rome. I lost in the semis twice so I’m happy to make it to the final,” Gauff told Rome fans during the trophy presentation. “Congratulations Jasmine on this incredible achievement. You’re an incredible person and player.
“It’s always tough playing you. Good luck in the doubles final tomorrow—I hope you guys can take it home.”
Paolini played with more depth and desire, collecting her third career singles title and making history as the first Italian woman to win multiple WTA 1000 championships.
This impressive title run propels Paolini back up to her career-high of No. 4—that puts the 2024 Roland Garros runner-up ahead of reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek heading into the French Open, which starts on May 25th.
Jitters were evident early as the final began with three consecutive service breaks. Paolini, who broke twice in a row, was stepping into the court firing her forehand into both corners capping the first hold for 3-1.
"Jasmine played I think great tennis today. I think it was one of her best levels today," Gauff told the media in Rome. "I also didn't play my best level. I think it's both.
"It's not to discredit my opponent. She forced me to play that way. Yeah, maybe I could have served better and put more balls in the court, could play better. I definitely could and can.
"But she played to win today and she deserved to win. With the crowd, I mean, they were fine to me. I didn't think they were being disrespectful or anything."
Madrid finalist Gauff worked through a tight deuce game holding for 3-4 with a quiet “come on.”
Serving for the set at 5-4, Paolini produced her finest tennis of the set showing the hand skills that make her a singles and doubles finalist.
The Italian’s forehand down the line was a weapon thoughout the set. Paolini pounded a down the line forehand, followed it forward for a flashy forehand swing volley then scraped a slick backhand volley off her shoelaces that eluded Gauff and hit the baseline for triple set point.
The Olympic doubles gold medal champion cranked the wide serve sealing a strong one-set lead after 54 minutes.
Playing for history, the 29-year-old Paolini beat Gauff to the punch and played cleaner tennis. Paolini, who swept Gauff in Stuttgart 6-4, 6-3 last month, played with clarity and confidence and more net clearance than Gauff, whose drives sometimes expired into the tape in the opener.
Though Gauff left the court to reset, she ran into the relentless Paolini ground game. Paolini torched a forehand return right back at Gauff rattling out the error to start the second with the break.
Though Gauff is one of the game’s fittest women, she looked depleted by her 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 semifinal victory over Zheng Qinwen that spanned three hours, 32 minutes. In that match, Gauff overcame 16 double faults running down everything the Olympic singles gold-medal champion threw at her.
Today, a drained Gauff not only looked a little lethargic and passive in rallies, she didn’t really apply one of her effective weapons on dirt—her heavy topspin—to try to challenge the 5’4” Italian with shoulder-high shots. Instead, Gauff was playing flatter trying to hit through Paolini. Gauff netted a drop shot as Paolini scored the double-break for a 3-0 lead.
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Light precipitation escalated into a heavier rain as Gauff broke back for 1-3.
Every time Gauff made a push, Paolini shoved her right back into a deficit.
Exploiting the American’s sixth double fault, Paolini earned triple break point in the fifth game. Running around her backhand, Paolini rapped a forehand return winner down the line scoring her fifth break for a 6-4, 4-1 lead.
Playing nearly this entire final off her front foot, Paolini did not take her foot off the gas at closing time.
On her second championship point, Paolini slashed a serve winner down the T then jumped for joy winning Rome homestyle.