By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, Might 14, 2026
Picture credit score: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Fb
Gelato junkie Coco Gauff has dined on drama in Rome.
In the present day, Gauff cooked up masterful shotmaking to return to the Rome last.
Driving a six-game surge, Gauff defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-2 to roll into her second straight Rome last.
The 22-year-old Gauff is the youngest American since her former doubles accomplice Venus Williams (1998-99) to succeed in the Rome last in successive seasons.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Gauff will face a former Rome champion—both three-time champion Iga Swiatek or two-time champion Elina Svitolina—within the last. Gauff is 2-3 lifetime vs. Svitolina and 5-11 vs. Swiatek, however she has gained their final 4 conferences in a row.
Gauff, who misplaced to dwelling hero Jasmine Paolini within the 2025 Rome last, delivered her most definitive clay-court efficiency of the season after a excessive drama win over compatriot Iva Jovic the place she saved a match level in a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 comeback triumph. Gauff rallied from a set down defeating eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 6-2, 6-4—her third straight comeback win from a set down within the match.
“I feel for me this week I discovered I have to know learn how to shut these units higher,” Gauff mentioned. “It’s not essentially I’m getting these sluggish begins, I’m often beginning out the set – not like at the moment – however often beginning up these units up a break, generally letting it slip.
“In the present day once I went up 5-4, I used to be actually simply making an attempt to ensure I closed it out in that recreation. Clearly while you win the primary set, you’ve a bit extra confidence as a result of you understand if you happen to don’t win the second, you continue to have an opportunity within the third to show issues round.”
Reuniting with Caty McNally in Crew McCoco doubles motion in Rome has given Gauff loads of repetitions on serve and return—and that helped her excessive efficiency in these departments at the moment. Gauff served 78 p.c, gained 29 of 39 first-serve factors and double faulted solely as soon as in a 75-minute victory. On return, Gauff transformed 5 of six break factors in her most assured and cleanest effort of the clay season.
“I feel it’s an actual enchancment. I feel it’s like the primary time in my profession I really feel like I’m actually secure with that shot,” Gauff mentioned of her serve. “Yeah, it’s been an up-and-down course of. I clearly don’t need to jinx something, however I feel we discovered the recipe to creating it extra constant.
“Now it’s specializing in learn how to make it extra of a weapon, learn how to serve smarter, factor like that, yeah.”
Credit score Cirstea, who’s crafting profession resurgence in her deliberate farewell season, for taking it to the finalist for a lot of the primary set.
The 36-year-old Cirstea took the courtroom taking part in for her second WTA 1000 last—and a spot in historical past understanding a win would vault her to a career-high rating of No. 20, which might have made her the oldest lady in Open Period historical past to debut within the High 20.
The Twenty sixth-ranked Romanian used the down the road drive in toppling world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 within the third spherical and performed proactive factors rallying from 40-Love down to interrupt serve to start out this semifinal.
Cracking a crosscourt forehand winner, Cirstea closed a strong maintain with a fist pump and 4-2 lead.
Because the set progressed, Gauff dialed in her topspin forehand and commenced gaining traction in forehand exchanges.
Driving a forehand down the road, Gauff gained break level within the eight recreation.
An 11-shot forehand-to-forehand alternate ended with Gauff rattling a forehand miscue from the Romanian to interrupt again for 4-all.
When Gauff wasn’t mixing her heavy topspin forehand with flat backhand blasts, she generally befuddled Cirstea dabbing droppers into the entrance courtroom. A superb working rally spanned 23 photographs capped by a slick Gauff backhand drop shot winner. That stirring sequence helped her maintain for 5-4.
Watching Gauff set her toes and rock her shoulders by way of her two-handed signature shot could be a scary sight for opponents. Gauff banged backhands inflicting Cirstea to jerk a backhand properly extensive as Gauff broke taking the 40-minute opening set on a four-game run.
Cirstea half-volleyed her approach to a love maintain within the fourth recreation of the second set.
Sending in a sequence of first serves, Gauff answered with a love maintain for a 6-4, 3-2 lead after 58 minutes.
Then a spectator apparently fell ailing within the stands prompting a suspension of play whereas help was administered to the fan. Each Gauff and Cirstea consulted with their coaches in the course of the break.
When play resumed, the pair traded breaks.
Overlaying the courtroom completely, Gauff shrank area for Cirstea to strike and drew three errors in a row breaking once more for 5-3.
The third-seeded Gauff stamped her third love maintain of the set to safe her last spot in 75 minutes.
