Unlike her previous three matches — all of which required dramatic comebacks after losing the opening set — Gauff delivered one of her most controlled performances of the tournament, winning 6-4, 6-3 in just one hour and 15 minutes.
The victory sends the 22-year-old American into the 16th WTA final of her career and further underlines her growing dominance on clay ahead of the French Open.
Slow Start, Strong Finish
Cirstea, appearing in only the fourth WTA 1000 semifinal of her career, began aggressively and immediately put Gauff under pressure.
The Romanian broke serve in the opening game and quickly raced to a 2-0 lead before extending her advantage to 4-2 in the first set.
But Gauff responded with the poise and resilience that have defined much of her season. The American tightened up defensively, improved the consistency of her groundstrokes and reeled off four straight games to snatch the opening set 6-4.
The second set proved more competitive than the final score suggested.
Gauff earned early breaks in the second and sixth games, but Cirstea repeatedly fought back to level the contest. However, the American eventually seized control with a decisive break in the eighth game before calmly serving out the match.
Perfect Record Against Cirstea Continues
Thursday’s result extended Gauff’s flawless head-to-head record against Cirstea to 4-0.
Three of those victories have now come this season alone, with Gauff previously defeating the Romanian at both the Miami Open and the Madrid Open.
While their earlier meetings this year were more tightly contested, this marked Gauff’s first straight-sets win over the experienced Romanian.
One of the WTA’s Biggest Big-Match Players
The Rome final will be the sixth clay-court final of Gauff’s career and further cements her reputation as one of the sport’s premier performers on the biggest stages.
Remarkably, each of her last eight finals has come at either a Grand Slam, the season-ending WTA Finals or a WTA 1000 tournament.
Her consistency in elite-level events has become one of the defining features of her rapid rise on the women’s tour.
Dominant After Taking the First Set
Gauff’s ability to close out matches after gaining an early advantage has also become increasingly impressive.
With Thursday’s victory, she extended her winning streak to 28 consecutive matches after claiming the opening set.
The last player to defeat her after losing the first set was Jasmine Paolini during the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati tournament last year.
Historic Milestone for American Tennis
The victory also secured Gauff a place in the record books.
She became the youngest American woman since Venus Williams in 1998 and 1999 to reach consecutive Italian Open finals.
In addition, Gauff is the first player to make back-to-back Rome finals since Iga Swiatek achieved the feat in 2021 and 2022.
Tough Final Awaits Against Svitolina
Standing between Gauff and the Rome title is Elina Svitolina, an opponent who has proven difficult for the American in recent meetings.
Gauff trails the head-to-head series 2-3 and has lost both encounters against the Ukrainian this season.
That recent history adds another layer of intrigue to what promises to be a high-quality final between two of the tour’s most resilient competitors.
For Gauff, the match presents not only an opportunity to claim one of the biggest clay-court titles of her career, but also a chance to send a strong message ahead of the upcoming French Open in Paris.