Coco Gauff
delivered a stunning performance to eliminate World No. 1
Aryna Sabalenka and
advance to her first
WTA Finals championship match. The American showed
remarkable composure, especially on her serve, and capitalized on an off day
for the Belarusian, closing out the match in straight sets, 7-6(4), 6-3.
In her
previous two WTA Finals appearances, Gauff had fallen short in the Round Robin
stage in 2022 after three consecutive losses, and in 2023 she reached the
semifinals before losing to Jessica Pegula. Now, the 20-year-old has secured
her spot as World No. 3 to end the season, regardless of the final outcome on
Saturday, where she will face the impressive
Zheng Qinwen.
Gauff makes the most of Sabalenka’s rough day
The match
began with both players displaying some inconsistency, trading breaks in the
third and fourth games. Although they each faced multiple break points in the
first half of the set, they found their rhythm in the second half, with few
issues holding serve.
Sabalenka
raised her game under pressure, breaking in the 11th game, but it wasn’t enough
as Gauff fought back to force a tiebreak. Gauff raced to a 6-1 lead in the
tiebreak, and while Sabalenka managed to save three set points, she ultimately
faltered with a forehand error on an open court, conceding the set to Gauff
7-6(4) after more than an hour of play.
The World
No. 1 took a toilet break while Gauff stayed on court, practicing her serve. On
her return, Sabalenka struggled to find her precision, and Gauff quickly
secured a break in the third game to take control.
Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals in Riyadh
In the
second set, Sabalenka played more conservatively, which Gauff took full
advantage of. The American won an impressive 88% of her first serves compared
to Sabalenka’s 45%, and her opponent struggled to find her footing as her
morale declined, while Gauff remained focused throughout.
The
three-time Grand Slam champion started the second set with a strong service
game, but this proved to be a brief spark. Gauff surged ahead, winning 11 of
the next 12 points, earning two consecutive breaks to lead 4-1.
It seemed like everything was lost for the recent US Open champion. However, in a show of courage, she fought to close the gap and, in the longest game of the match, recovered one of the breaks after 20 points and up to 8 break opportunities. Still, the momentum wasn’t enough. Gauff quickly broke back and had the chance to serve for the win but couldn’t close it out. Nonetheless, a final break in the 9th game was enough to secure the victory 7-6(4), 6-3.
Saturday’s
final will feature the two youngest players in the WTA Finals, with Gauff (20)
facing Zheng (22). The Chinese player has had an outstanding season finish and
will surely be pleased with Sabalenka’s elimination, as she has a 0-5
head-to-head record against the Belarusian.