Paulini swept Gove in 2 straight sets, setting a 40-year record in Rome

Under the witness of Italian President Sergio Matarella, local star Paulini defeated No. 4 seed Goff 6-4, 6-2 at the Central Stadium, becoming the first local player to win the women's singles championship in the Italian BNL International Championship in the past 40 years.

This duel, which took only 1 hour and 29 minutes, is not only a top contest between the two top 5 players, but also allows Paulini to win the second WTA1000 level championship in his career after the 2024 Dubai Station. This is her third WTA singles championship in her career and the first clay event championship.

Paulini became the first female player to win the highest-level event in his country since Raffaella Reggi in 1985. It is worth noting that Reggie won the championship in Taranto that year, which means that Paulini was the first local female player to win the championship trophy in Rome, the capital of Italy.

In the past four matches, although Gao Fu has won two consecutive victories in the hard field, Paulini has established a clay advantage. After defeating Gouf for the first time in Stuttgart indoor clay last month, Roma won another goal, rewriting the record of the two sides' match to 2-2.

With this championship, Paulini will return to the highest number 4 in the world next Monday, which also means that she is very likely to play in the upcoming French Open as the TOP4 seed. And Gao Fu will also rise to the second place in his career.

Paulini's journey to Rome is not over yet. She will strive to defend her title with her partner Ellani in Sunday's doubles final. If she successfully wins the championship, she will become the first player to win the singles and doubles championship in the WTA 1000 event since Vera Zvonareva in Indian Wells in 2009.