First WTA Finals title for Gauff!

© AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 09/11/2024 à 19h28

1 min to read

Gauff WTA Finals Zheng

In her third appearance at the WTA Finals, Coco Gauff won a thrilling final against Qinwen Zheng (3-6, 6-4, 7-6) after three hours and four minutes of play.

In the first set, it was Gauff who had the most break point opportunities (five in total), but Zheng, more opportunistic, needed only one break point to win the first set.

Leading by a set and a break (6-3, 3-1), the Chinese then lost the thread of her tennis and it was after an exchange of breaks that the American took the second set.

For the first time since 2018, the Women's Masters final thus went to the third set. A final set with plenty of twists and turns: Zheng served for the match at 5-4 and lost her first set, before saving two match points on her serve at 6-5.

The tie-break was quickly dispatched by Gauff (7-2) in what was the longest match in the tournament's history since 2011.

Coco Gauff's triumph rounded off an impressive week in which she defeated Iga Swiatek (in the group phase) and world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals to claim the title in Riyadh.

She also became the first American player to win the event since Serena Williams in 2014.