ROME, Italy (Reuters) – Jasmine Paolini became the first Italian woman to win the Italian Open in 40 years when she beat American world number three Coco Gauff 6-4 6-2 in the final on Saturday.
It was Paolini’s biggest clay-court title and her second 1000-level crown, with the 29-year-old from Tuscany having won the Dubai Championships last year.
Triumph in Italy boosts Paolini as she continues her preparations for the French Open, where she was runner-up last year. It starts on May 25.
Roared on by an adoring home crowd, Paolini became the only Italian to win the women’s title at the Italian Open after Raffaella Reggi in 1985.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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