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Rome Coco Gauff advanced to her first career Italian Open final after defeating Olympic champion Zheng Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) in a final-set tiebreak.

In addition to being the longest match of Gauff’s career, the three-hour, thirty-two-minute match was the longest on the WTA Tour this year.

Gauff had never won a set in the Rome semifinals, where he had previously finished 0–2. Zheng was two points away from becoming the first Chinese woman to compete for the trophy since Li Na in 2012 after she recovered from a breakdown twice in an engrossing final set that lasted more than 80 minutes on its own. However, she was almost handed more Italian heartbreak from a set ahead this time around, according to the WTA.

“I was only attempting to make every point. I was aware beforehand that it would be a physical battle. We played for more than three hours the last time. All in all, I’m content. To be honest, that wasn’t my finest level at all. “I’m just glad I made it through and made it to another final,” Gauff said.

“I found the court to be rather sluggish during the whole match. They are rather hefty, especially after the ball is used after two games or so. My second night match was this one. It was the first round for me. I was playing a whole different kind of game. Yes, it was difficult.

“I believe that both of us are having difficulty connecting with one another. I believe there were somewhat more winners and aggression in Riyadh. We made an effort today, but the ball wasn’t moving,” Gauff said.

In an attempt to become the first American to win the singles title at the WTA 1000 tournament since Serena Williams defeated Madison Keys in an all-American finals match, she will compete against local favorite and highly rated Italian Jasmine Paolini in the final.

Although Gauff leads Paolini 2-1 in their head-to-head match, Paolini prevailed in their lone clay-court encounter in Stuttgart last month.

Paolini Paolini earlier in the day defeated Peyton Stearns 7-5, 6-1 in 1 hour and 39 minutes after rallying from a 4-1 deficit in the first set and saved two set points to become the third Italian woman in the Open Era to get to the Italian Open final.

After last year’s Wimbledon, Dubai, and Roland Garros, Paolini progresses to her eighth career final and her fourth at the WTA 1000 level or above. She will attempt to become the first home champion since 1985, when Raffaella Reggi upset Vicki Nelson-Dunbar for the title, and is the first Italian woman to go to the final in Rome since doubles partner Sara Errani in 2014.