Elina Svitolina beats Coco Gauff to win Italian Open and Jannik Sinner reaches men’s final

ROME — Elina Svitolina claimed a third Italian Open title on Saturday by beating Coco Gauff, who lost in the final in Rome for the second straight year.

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In the men’s final on Sunday, home favorite Jannik Sinner will face Casper Ruud.

Svitolina took nearly three hours to prevail, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2, and win her first WTA 1000 title since lifting the title in Rome in 2018. The Ukrainian also won in 2017.

“It’s very hard to believe that it’s been eight years when I had this trophy here and very, very, very pleased of course with the two weeks here,” Svitolina said on court after her 20th career title.

“I told my coach that it would be nice before I finish my career to have a round number. So he told me that hopefully we’re going to get this this year. So, I’m very, very happy.”

Gauff, who was hoping to become the first American to win in Rome since 2016, lost to Jasmine Paolini last year but went on to win the French Open.

“It’s been a great two weeks . . . and I definitely feel the momentum going into the French Open,” she said. ”A lot of lessons learned from this match.”

Gauff started brilliantly, breaking Svitolina and holding to love. She also had the chance to go 5-2 up but Svitolina fended off three break points and won four straight games to take the opener.

The third-ranked Gauff struggled on her serve throughout the second set but managed to take it to a tiebreak and level the match.

However, Svitolina dominated the decider and broke Gauff’s serve twice to leave her serving for the title. The seventh-ranked Svitolina sealed the result on her third match point with a volley at the net.

Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, when their rain-delayed semifinal resumed on Saturday and is one victory away from becoming only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic has won each Masters tournament at least twice.

The top-ranked Sinner led 4-2 in the third set when the match was suspended late Friday. The Italian finished off the match in 15 minutes on Saturday, sealing it on his third match point after Medvedev fended off two on his serve.

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“It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge,” Sinner said. “Usually, during the night, I don’t struggle to sleep but this time it was not easy.

“You are in the third set, nearly done, but you still have to show up again and you never know what is happening. It is like the start of the match as there are nerves again. I am very happy with how I handled this situation and that I am back in the final.”

Earlier Friday on the red clay of the Foro Italico, Ruud routed home player Luciano Darderi, 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner is also attempting to become the first Italian man to raise the Rome trophy since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the trophy on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the men’s final.

Sinner has won all four of his career meetings with Ruud without dropping a set — including a 6-0, 6-1 rout in the Rome quarterfinals last year.

“Jannik is chasing history,” Ruud said. “I have to be the guy to try to stop him, and it will not be easy playing here in his home country. . . . Last year, he really [routed me] here on the same court, so of course I’m looking for revenge. But at the same time I realize that he’s an incredible player and a unique talent.”

Sinner lost last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz, who is sidelined due to a right wrist injury.

Sinner hasn’t lost since Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He has won 28 straight matches and a record five successive Masters titles. He could become the second man to win all three Masters tournaments on clay — including Monte Carlo and Madrid — in the same season after Rafael Nadal in 2010.

After Rome for Sinner is the French Open, the only Grand Slam event he hasn’t won. The titleholder, Alcaraz, will also miss it.

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