French Open champion Coco Gauff advanced to the Wuhan Open final on Saturday, securing a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3 victory over Italy's Jasmine Paolini. The American third seed reached her third WTA 1000 final of the year and will face the winner of the second semifinal between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula.
The match was defined by an unusual sequence that saw 11 consecutive games end in a break of serve, spanning from the middle of the first set deep into the second. Gauff was broken five times and served seven double faults, but managed to secure the crucial holds when it mattered most, to clinch the win in 82 minutes.
After the match, Gauff acknowledged the difficulty of the contest. "I'm really happy with how I played today. It was tough, especially playing on the serve. But I did what I needed to do to get through," she said. Looking ahead to Sunday's final, she added, "Sabalenka and Pegula are great players... And I've lost to them both before. But overall, I'm just going to focus on my side of the court and try to control the things I can control."
The win was Gauff's first in four meetings with Paolini this year and was marked by several personal milestones. The 21-year-old has dropped only 16 games en route to the final, the fewest in the tournament’s history since its inception in 2014. The result also means she is the youngest player ever to reach the finals of both the China Open and the Wuhan Open.
With the loss, Paolini's bid to secure a spot in the season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh has been delayed. Currently holding the eighth and final qualification spot, the Italian will now need to confirm her place at one of the remaining tournaments of the season. Gauff, meanwhile, will compete for the title on Sunday against either the three-time defending champion Sabalenka or her fellow American, Pegula.
