All-American final in Wuhan saw 21-year-old Coco Gauff 🔥 sweep past compatriot Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 to lift her third WTA 1000 trophy at the central Chinese mainland city of Wuhan.
Seeded third, Gauff cruised through the tournament without dropping a set, playing crisp and confident tennis over 1 hour and 42 minutes. In a showdown between former doubles partners, she erased early deficits in the second set to improve her head-to-head record to 3-4. With the win, Gauff made history as the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals 🏆.
The final kicked off at lightning speed, with Gauff charging to a 3-0 lead by dominating service games and grabbing winners at the net. Pegula rallied back to 4-4 with a fierce backhand winner, but Gauff broke again two games later to claim the opening set in just 47 minutes.
In the second set, Pegula jumped ahead 3-0 after capitalizing on Gauff’s serving hiccups. However, Gauff, who’s been refining her serve with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, steadied her game and reeled off 10 straight points to swing the match back in her favor.
The finish came at 7-5 when Pegula’s volley sailed wide on match point, sending Gauff into celebration mode with raised arms and a huge smile 🎾.
This victory not only adds another trophy to Gauff’s cabinet but also signals the arrival of a new American force on the WTA tour. Watch out world, Coco is just getting started! 🌟
Reference(s):
Gauff defeats US compatriot Pegula in straight sets to win Wuhan Open
cgtn.com
