Gauff to Face Zheng in WTA Finals Showdown After Defeating Sabalenka
Coco Gauff advanced to her first-ever WTA Finals final with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka. The American continued her impressive end-of-season form, following a rare win over Iga Swiatek in the group stage.
Sabalenka, who had already secured the year-end world number one ranking, struggled throughout the match. Her forehand, a key element of her game, was particularly off, as she hit 16 unforced errors in the first set. Despite breaking Gauff's serve for a 6-5 lead in the opener, Sabalenka faltered, allowing the match to go to a tie-break, which Gauff dominated.
The second set saw Sabalenka fight back after a lengthy bathroom break, but Gauff maintained her composure and broke serve early. A lengthy service game from Gauff in the fourth game was pivotal, with Sabalenka needing eight break points to reclaim a break. However, Gauff soon broke Sabalenka's serve again, securing the match with a 37th unforced error from her opponent.
Gauff has been in stellar form since her US Open quarter-final loss in September, with only two defeats in 14 matches. She will now face Zheng Qinwen in the final, who also reached her first WTA Finals final after defeating Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 7-5.
Zheng, who has garnered strong support from Chinese fans in Saudi Arabia, was initially dominant with her big serve and powerful groundstrokes. She built an early lead, but Krejcikova fought back, capitalizing on Zheng's dip in form to level the match. Despite growing frustration, especially during delays caused by a crying baby, Zheng kept her focus and broke Krejcikova at 5-5 in the second set. She then served for the match, closing it out after Krejcikova missed a forehand.
"It's a hard match for me but it shows I am mentally strong in that moment," Zheng said after the win.
The WTA Finals this year is offering a record £12m in prize money, making the upcoming final between Gauff and Zheng a highly anticipated showdown.
