Coco Gauff secured an epic victory over Zheng Qinwen at the Rome Open 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4), to earn her spot in the Rome Open final. The duel was the longest match in WTA Rome Open history, with three hours and 33 minutes of play.

In the Rome final, Gauff will clash against home favorite Jasmine Paolini. The American leads their head-to-head 2-1 but the fifth-ranked Italian won their most recent meeting in Stuttgart in April.

Coco Gauff battled for over three hours to defeat Zheng Qinwen 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in the Rome WTA 1000 semifinals Thursday. Gauff reached her first Rome