Tennis
Trend-setter Svitolina wins third Rome title, becomes first Ukrainian with 20 WTA crowns
After back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018 in Rome, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina had to wait for another eight years before she could clinch her third title. On Saturday, the former world No.3 did it in style as he defeated American Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in a high-quality final to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
“Definitely was an extremely tough battle,” Svitolina said after her win. “I’m very happy with the way I could handle my nerves, not only today but also throughout this tournament. I think the two weeks, it’s been tough, but I’m very happy with the way I’ve been playing, the way my body been reacting on these tough matches. Just very proud of the effort.”
Gauff starts strongly but Svitolina fights back
Gauff, bidding to win her first title in Rome, started strongly and broke twice to lead 2-0 and 4-2. However, Svitolina fought back on both occasions. The Ukrainian saved three break points in the pivotal ninth game to hold for a 5-4 lead before breaking Gauff to take the opening set 6-4.
The Ukrainian saved three break points in the pivotal ninth game to hold for a 5-4 lead before breaking Gauff to take the opening set 6-4. Pics: Facebook
Gauff, who had already played three three-set matches during the week, stayed close to Svitolina throughout the second set. Although the American earned break points in each of Svitolina’s first three service games of the set, neither player managed a breakthrough until the 11th game. Gauff broke to lead 6-5, only for Svitolina to break back immediately and force a tiebreak. The American edged the tiebreak 7-5 to level the match.
Svitolina quickly regained control in the deciding set and broke in the fifth and seventh games to move ahead 5-2. Serving for the championship, the Ukrainian saved three break points before converting her third match point after two hours, 49 minutes. The win improved her record against Gauff to 4-2.
Svitolina improved to 8-0 in WTA clay-court finals in the Open Era, becoming just the second player to win each of her first eight WTA-level finals on clay after Anna Smashnova. She also became the oldest player to claim three or more titles at a single Tier I/WTA 1000 event, surpassing Serena Williams, who achieved the feat in Miami in 2013 at 31 years, 173 days old. Svitolina is also the first player to record three top-five wins at a single edition of the Rome tournament.
Svitolina has now won 20 WTA singles titles, becoming the first Ukrainian player in the Open Era to reach that milestone.
Svitolina emulates Serena
The Ukrainian is also just the second player aged 30 or older in the Open Era to win the Internazionali d’Italia after Serena Williams, who won the title in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
“When I was coming back, for me was important just to give myself a good chance to play the highest level,” Svitolina told the media. “I was never thinking about that I could come back. In a way it came later. I think it was by the stages. First, I wanted to be back in top hundred because I was starting from zero, then it was top 30 to be seeded. Then from last year I started to think, okay, my level I think is there. I need to be more consistent, strong physically to be more consistent, then I can have a chance to go to top 10 because I was playing already good level,” she added.
Gauff, on the other hand, only converted three of 17 break point chances she created in the three-set final. She acknowledged that once Svitolina began attacking more aggressively, she responded by retreating instead of elevating her own intensity. It was a trend that was evident not just in the championship match, but throughout the week, and something she and her coaching team will hone in on, in the days leading into the year’s second Grand Slam tournament.
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“I think just being not necessarily more offensive because I’m getting the short balls and stuff … just capitalizing and working on capitalizing on those shorter balls, having more of a plan on what to do with them,” she said. “I think I got a lot of short ones today and just didn’t do anything with them,” Gauff said.