Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will play the final of the Wuhan Open
In an exciting match in Wuhan, China, Coco Gauff defeated Jasmine Paolini and will face her compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final of the Wuhan Open. Pegula, for her part, ended Aryna Sabalenka’s winning streak in the tournament. Gauff defeated Paolini with scores of 6-4, 6-3, highlighting her ability to overcome seven double faults. The match was characterized by the struggle in the serves of both players, both within the top 10. In a match not for the faint of heart, Pegula defeated Sabalenka with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2), securing her place in the final and stopping Sabalenka’s streak of 20 consecutive victories in Wuhan. In their direct confrontations, Pegula leads Gauff with a record of 4-2, although this will be the first time they face each other in a final. Gauff, ranked third, demonstrated her tenacity by coming back from three breaks in the second set, despite a series of five consecutive double faults. Ultimately, she won the last four games to advance to the final.The 21-year-old Gauff, 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. However, she has also shone in another aspect: with 13 victories over top 10 players in WTA 1000 events before turning 22, she has led this ranking since 2009. Jasmine Paolini, ranked fifth, eliminated Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and had won her three previous encounters against Gauff, all played this season. Pegula, ranked sixth, came back from 5-2 in the final set, winning four games in a row. Sabalenka saved two match points in the following game to force the tiebreak. Sabalenka, winner of the Wuhan Open in 2018, 2019, and again in 2024 after the event’s return to the circuit.I did what I had to do to win.
Coco Gauff
