Gauff vs Pegula: All-American Final at the Wuhan Open

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will compete for the Wuhan Open title

In an exciting match in Wuhan, China, Coco Gauff defeated Jasmine Paolini and will face her compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final of the tournament. Pegula, for her part, achieved a crucial victory over the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, ending her winning streak in the tournament. Gauff, despite committing seven double faults, managed to defeat Paolini with a score of 6-4, 6-3. The match was marked by the struggle in the serves of both players, but Gauff demonstrated her determination to advance to the final. Pegula, in an encounter full of emotions, defeated Sabalenka with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2). This victory not only secured her a place in the final, but also put an end to Sabalenka’s streak of 20 consecutive victories in Wuhan. In head-to-head matches between Gauff and Pegula, Pegula leads with a 4-2 record. However, this will be the first time they face each other in a final, which adds an extra element of excitement to the match. Gauff, ranked number 3, demonstrated her resilience by recovering from three breaks in the second set, including a series of five consecutive double faults. She managed to win the last four games to secure her place in the final.

I did what was necessary to move forward.

Coco Gauff

The 21-year-old tennis player, who changed her service coach in August, leads the women’s circuit this season with 378 double faults, surpassing the next player by more than 120. Despite this, Gauff has excelled in another important statistic: with 13 victories over top 10 players in WTA 1000 events, she is the player with the most victories of this type before turning 22 since 2009. Jasmine Paolini, ranked number 5, had managed to eliminate the Wimbledon champion, Iga Swiatek, in the quarterfinals. Furthermore, she had won her previous three matches against Gauff, all played this season. Pegula, ranked number 6, came back from a 5-2 score in the final set, winning four games in a row. Sabalenka saved two match points in the next game to force the tiebreak. Sabalenka, who won the Wuhan Open in 2018 and 2019, and again in 2024 after the event’s return to the circuit.