Jasmine Paolini of Italy celebrates after winning the semi-final tennis match against Peyton Stearns of the United States at the Italian Open at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Thursday, May 15, 2025, (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
ROME–Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman in more than a decade to reach the final of her home Italian Open when she beat American Peyton Stearns 7-5 6-1 on Thursday.
Paolini is the first Italian to advance to the final in Rome since her doubles partner Sara Errani lost to Serena Williams in 2014.
She will face Coco Gauff, who battled past Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(4) in a marathon semi-final lasting over three and a half hours.
Paolini had found herself a set and 4-0 down to Diana Shnaider in her quarter-final tie before storming to victory and once again the world number five had a slow start in the opening set before mounting a comeback.
“I am very happy, I don’t know what to say! It’s a dream to be here, it’s a dream to play in Italy, it’s a dream to be able to play the final,” the 29-year-old said.
Any hopes of a quick start for Paolini were put to rest when Stearns jumped into a 3-0 lead amid muted applause from the home crowd and the Italian soon found herself 4-1 down.
Jasmine Paolini of Italy, right, greets Peyton Stearns of the United States at the end of their semi-final tennis match at the Italian Open at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Thursday, May 15, 2025, (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The American looked comfortable and poised to take the opening set before Paolini clawed her way back as she saved set points to level it at 5-5, pumping her fist with a triumphant scream that got the crowd roaring again.
The comeback was complete when Paolini, having won four games in a row, took the opening set after more than an hour of play.
The momentum was firmly with Paolini as she broke Stearns for a fifth time to go 4-1 up in the second set and the deflated American had no answer as the Italian’s winners whizzed past her.
Stearns fired a forehand wide on match point as the crowd erupted and Paolini raised her arms in celebration.
“You (the crowd) gave me a boost because today it was a bit of an uphill start and I struggled at the beginning, thank goodness you were there,” she added.
“We won this match together. Point after point I managed to fight, to turn it around, even if at the beginning I did not have a good feeling. But I am happy with the way I managed to turn this match around.”
US’ Coco Gauff returns a shot to Canada’s Victoria Mboko during their women’s single match at the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 9, 2025. (Photo by PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP)
Gauff also reached her first final in Rome with a gritty win in a match marked by wild momentum swings.
She let a 5-3 lead slip in the opener but capitalised on Zheng’s double faults to edge a scrappy first set, which featured 35 unforced errors from both players.
Zheng hit back with an early break in the second to force a decider, but after failing to serve out the match, the Olympic champion faded in the final tiebreak.
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The American held her nerve to book a second straight WTA 1000 final, following her runner-up finish in Madrid.
