ROME, MAY 17 (IANS): Seventh seed Elina Svitolina battled past third seed Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 after two hours and 49 minutes in the women’s singles final, capturing her third Italian Open title on Saturday.
Svitolina advanced to the final after defeating second seed Elena Rybakina and fourth seed Iga Swiatek in consecutive rounds. Facing last year’s runner-up Gauff, the Ukrainian found herself under pressure early and trailed 4-2 in the opening set.
The turning point came in the eighth game, when Gauff double-faulted twice after building a 40-0 lead, allowing Svitolina to break back. The Ukrainian then saved three break points in the ninth game to hold serve before taking the set 6-4, reported Xinhua.
The second set turned into a tight battle. Gauff earned a crucial break in the 11th game, but Svitolina broke back immediately when the American served for the set, forcing a tiebreak. Gauff raised her level in the tiebreak and claimed it 7-3 to level the match at one set apiece.
Svitolina regained control in the deciding set by breaking in the fifth and seventh games. Serving for the championship, she saved three break points before sealing victory with a backhand volley. The triumph marked her third singles title in Rome and the 20th WTA singles title of her career.
In the men’s draw, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner completed his rain-suspended semifinal against seventh seed Daniil Medvedev on Saturday, winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to reach Sunday’s final, where he will face 23rd seed Casper Ruud.
Andreeva-Shnaider clinch doubles title
Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider underlined their growing dominance on the women’s doubles circuit by capturing the Italian Open title with an emphatic straight-sets victory here on Sunday. The duo defeated seventh seeds Cristina Bucsa and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 6-3, 6-3 in a one-sided final that lasted just 69 minutes at the Foro Italico.
The triumph marked the pair’s second WTA 1000 title together and their third trophy as a team overall, further strengthening their reputation as one of the most dangerous partnerships on tour heading into Roland Garros. Rome also provided the perfect response after their disappointment in Madrid earlier this month, where Andreeva and Shnaider finished runners-up following a defeat to doubles specialists Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend in the final.
This time, however, there was little room for drama. From the opening exchanges, the Russian duo controlled the pace of the match with aggressive returns and sharp net play, rarely allowing Bucsa and Melichar-Martinez to build sustained momentum. After taking the first set with authority, they quickly tightened their grip on the contest in the second to complete a dominant title run in the Italian capital.
The championship adds another significant milestone to a partnership that continues to gather momentum at the highest level. Since joining forces, Andreeva and Shnaider have now claimed titles in Brisbane, Miami, and Rome, while also reaching the Madrid final in an impressive stretch across the season.
Their latest run included a statement semifinal victory over second seeds Siniakova and Townsend, making them the first team outside the experienced Czech-American pairing to lift a WTA 1000 doubles title since Dubai earlier this year.
For Andreeva, the title also capped an encouraging recovery after a frustrating singles campaign on clay. The teenage star had suffered heartbreak in the Madrid singles final before exiting early in Rome following a defeat to Coco Gauff. Shnaider, meanwhile, was knocked out in singles by Naomi Osaka.
But together, the pair once again looked a class apart in doubles competition. Olympic silver medallists from Paris 2024, Andreeva and Shnaider, now head to the French Open with growing expectations and the confidence of another major clay-court title behind them.
Monday, May 18, 2026