Elina Svitolina signalled her French Open ambitions by battling past Coco Gauff 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 in the Italian Open final to lift her first clay-court title of the season ahead of Roland Garros.
The 31-year-old from Ukraine had already upset world No 2 Elena Rybakina and No 3 Iga Swiatek, before stunning No 4 Gauff in Saturday’s final to complete a remarkable week in the Italian capital.
Svitolina, who came back to the WTA Tour as a mum in 2023, will now bid to win her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, which gets under way in Paris on May 24.
Svitolina had already knocked Gauff out of the Australian Open and Dubai Tennis Championships this year and immediately exerted her dominance when she took the first set in Rome.
Gauff roared back to edge a close second on a tie-breaker before the third went the way of Svitolina after a sensational backhand in the seventh game helped her further edge in front on the way to a famous victory.
Svitolina – who gave birth to daughter Skai in October 2022 – told Sky Sports Tennis: “It was an extremely tough two weeks here. There were some big battles, big matches, late-night matches where I was going to bed at five in the morning.
“Losing that second set was really painful but I tried to refocus and go again. Coco is a great fighter and she’s always bringing the fighting spirit so I tried to stay mentally tough.”
Svitolina twice battled from a break down to level a tight first set at 4-4, and the Ukrainian held on under huge pressure during exhausting rallies to get ahead in the ninth game with some powerful hitting.
A couple of untimely double faults from Gauff’s racket in the next game gifted Svitolina the opening set, and the 31-year-old dialled up the intensity late in the next set to go within touching distance of a third Rome title.
Gauff, the reigning French Open champion, held on bravely until 5-5 in the second set and then broke with a reflex volley at the net after a shot that clipped the net cord unsettled Svitolina and forced her into making a flat return.
That joy was short-lived as Svitolina broke back immediately, but Gauff raised her game in the tiebreak to drag the match into a deciding set, where there was little to separate the duo after the opening four games.
A backhand error from Gauff meant Svitolina sealed a vital break in the fifth game, and the Ukrainian pounced again for a double break, before holding her nerve in a tense finish to secure victory in two hours and 49 minutes on her third match point.
Tale of the Tape
Former British No 1 Laura Robson, speaking on Sky Sports Tennis: “It was her resilience throughout this week but also after that second set breaker it would have been so easy to get down on herself. But I thought she had control of the match and to compete in such tough conditions – it’s really heavy clay out here – it wasn’t easy at all and it looked a little nervy at times, but we really saw some phenomenal tennis from both players – especially from Elina.”
Tim Henman, a four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, said: “The courage and conviction to keep going for her shots. She was taking the ball up the line when she had the opportunity, so just an outstanding victory and the people she beat! Going into Roland-Garros with these types of victories, she’s going to fancy her chances.
“When you reflect on the Grand Slams, she’s been in four semi-finals, you’ve got to think she’s got aspirations of being in a major final, and with this type of tennis, this type of confidence, and the belief of beating the best players, why not?”
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