US Open champion Coco Gauff serves to an empty court in bizarre Italian Open moment

In a semifinal that swung between tense and comic, Coco Gauff edged past China's Zheng Qinwen in a dramatic three-set battle to reach the Italian Open final. But before the result, it was an unexpected moment of laughter that stole the spotlight.The match had been competitive but lacked standout flair through the first two sets. Gauff had taken the opener in a tense tiebreak, 7-6(3), before Zheng fought back to claim the second 6-4. As the third set began and the clock neared midnight in Rome, the intensity was high, until comedy struck.Early in the final set, Zheng broke a string during a rally and jogged to her bench to grab a new racquet. Unaware, Gauff stepped up to serve, completely focused. She went through her pre-serve routine and launched a serve, only to realize there was no one on the other side of the net.Instead, Zheng stood off to the side, racquet in hand, looking bemused. The crowd erupted in laughter. Gauff herself made a facepalm, smiled sheepishly, and shrugged. The chair umpire even broke into a grin. It was a rare moment of levity in an otherwise gritty clash, offering a refreshing pause in the heat of competition.Despite the light-hearted detour, the match returned to high stakes quickly. Gauff had gained an early break in the third, but the comic interruption seemed to momentarily affect her rhythm. She went on to lose the next game, despite having three game points.The decider turned into a physical grind, with both players holding serve to reach 5-5. Zheng had a chance to serve out the match after a break, but Gauff broke back on her lone opportunity and leveled things. The set eventually went into a deciding tiebreak.After trading mini-breaks, Gauff pulled ahead and sealed the match with a 7-6(4) victory in the final-set breaker, wrapping up a 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4) win in a battle that lasted over three and a half hours.Speaking after the match, Gauff acknowledged the struggle and credited Zheng for her performance.“I was just trying to go for every point,” Gauff said in her post-match press conference. “Yeah, I knew before it was going to be a physical match. Last time we played was over three hours. Yeah, overall I'm just happy. Wasn't my best level at all, to be honest. Just happy to get through it and through to another final.”She also praised Zheng's abilities, especially on clay.“She's obviously tough to play. Very talented. Especially on this surface. She won the gold medal. Always does well. I'm sure we're going to have many more battles in the future. Very happy to be able to pull this one out,” Gauff added.With the win, the 2023 US Open champion moves into the Italian Open final, where she will face home favorite and sixth seed Jasmine Paolini.It promises to be another electric contest, but for now, Gauff's comic miscue, and triumphant recovery, has already made this semifinal unforgettable.