Gauff relieved after her win against Paolini in Riyadh: "I wasn't very positive in my last match, I didn't want to repeat the same mistake"

Coco Gauff reassured herself at the WTA Finals with a straight-sets victory against Jasmine Paolini. The American can still dream of a Masters double but will have to secure her qualification against Aryna Sabalenka.

After her initial loss to compatriot Jessica Pegula, the reigning WTA Finals champion is still alive. Coco Gauff indeed dominated Jasmine Paolini (6-3, 6-2) without faltering and can still reach the semifinals, but she will have to defeat Aryna Sabalenka to continue dreaming of a double that hasn't been achieved at the women's Masters since Serena Williams' triple at the beginning of the 2010s (2012, 2013, 2014). The 21-year-old player reacted to her success against the Italian in a press conference.

"I'm just trying to give myself the best chance to win. I felt I wasn't very positive in my last match, so I didn't want to repeat the same mistake today (Tuesday).

I think knowing that no one has managed to defend their title for so many years really relieved some of the pressure for me. And honestly, you're facing the world's top eight players: this tournament format with round-robin groups is really tough.

When I lose, I usually stay in bed for a few days, so having to come back and play another match right away is really unusual. I'm just happy I was able to get the win," stated Gauff before facing Sabalenka on Thursday for the final day of the group stage.