After a 3-hour and 32-minute battle, Gauff defeats Zheng and advances to the final in Rome

In an unpredictable match that ended past midnight, Coco Gauff prevailed over Qinwen Zheng in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 in Rome (7-6, 4-6, 7-6).

The two players had not faced each other since the WTA Finals in November last year. That match had been full of suspense, with Gauff emerging victorious after three extremely tight sets (3-6, 6-4, 7-6) and numerous twists and turns.

And, just like their last encounter, this semifinal was a rollercoaster. The first set, lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes, was decided by a tie-break in Gauff’s favor. But the stats were staggering, with both players committing 70 unforced errors (35 each) and eight breaks of serve throughout the set.

Despite losing the first set, Zheng quickly regained her composure in the next. She led 4-1 before losing ground. Ultimately, she forced a third and final set thanks to two consecutive breaks, despite landing only 37% of her first serves.

In the decisive set, the Chinese player served for the match at 5-3, just as she had in the WTA Finals. However, she faltered, and after over three hours of play, the outcome was decided in a tie-break. Despite numerous errors and tense rallies, Gauff held her nerve, winning the tie-break 7-4.

After 3 hours and 32 minutes of play, 156 combined unforced errors (74 for Zheng, 82 for Gauff), and 19 total breaks, the world No. 3 secured her spot in the Rome final.

She will now have some time to rest before her showdown on Saturday against Jasmine Paolini.