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Jasmine Paolini became the first home winner of the Italian Open for 40 years with a dominant victory over Coco Gauff. The 29-year-old, who reached the final of the French Open and Wimbledon last year in a breakthrough season, delighted the fans at the Foro Italico with a 6-4, 6-2 success.
No Italian had won the singles titles in Rome since Raffaella Reggi in 1985, but Paolini thoroughly merited her triumph. Jannik Sinner could make it a home double when he faces Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. “It doesn’t seem real to me,” Paolini said. “I came here as a kid to see this tournament, but winning it and holding up this trophy wasn’t even in my dreams.”
Before the trophy ceremony, the crowd chanted “Ole, ole, ole, Jas-mine, Jas-mine,” and Paolini responded by forming her hands into a heart shape. “The crowd has been incredible,” she said.
Paolini and Sara Errani are in the women’s doubles final and will play Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for that trophy on Sunday. “It’s been two incredible weeks and it’s not finished yet,” Paolini said.
Paolini came out firing and edged a tight first set before running away with the second thanks to a slew of Gauff errors. Paolini will overtake Iga Swiatek to become world No 4 on Monday and earn a top-four seeding for the French Open, which begins next Sunday.
Gauff has returned to form on the European clay after a difficult few months, but has finished runner-up in two major events, with this loss following one against Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid a fortnight ago.
Katie Boulter, meanwhile, reached the first clay-court final of her career at the Trophee Clarins in Paris. Dropping down to WTA 125 level, the tier below the main tour, has paid off for the British No 1, who defeated France’s Varvara Gracheva 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 to set up a final against another home player, Chloé Paquet.
