Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has won the WTA 1,000 title in Rome after a nearly three-hour battle against Coco Gauff. With set scores of 6-4, 6-7 (3), and 6-2, Svitolina achieves her first tournament of this category since she also won in the Italian capital in 2018. The match, delayed by rain, had moments of high tension.
Mental resilience as the engine of a technical comeback 🧠
Svitolina knew how to manage the key moments of the match. After a hesitant start that saw her lose 4-2 in the first set, she adjusted the depth of her shots and began to read Gauff's serve better. In the third set, the Ukrainian raised her first-serve percentage and punished the American's forehand, which crumbled with unforced errors. The key was defensive patience and not giving ground in long rallies.
Gauff, the racket, and a tie-break that didn't cure the frustration 😤
Coco Gauff started like a rocket, but ended up hitting herself with her own racket. Literally. After losing the first set, the American reacted with grit and took the second in a tie-break. But in the third, her tennis went down the drain. Svitolina, impassive, took advantage of every opponent's tantrum to seal her return to the top. Good thing the rain didn't wash away the Ukrainian's patience, because Gauff's was already gone.