Coco Gauff Vs Qinwen Zheng In The WTA Finals

Coco Gauff defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to return from break.

Gauff defeated Sabalenka with an incredible performance, earning a spot in the WTA final in Riyadh, where she will take on Qinwen Zheng.

On her way to the final, Gauff broke Sabalenka four times in a row in the second set, giving her a late shake after she dropped her own serve twice.

Aryna Sabalenka missed two chances to hit the net with her shot after failing to break-point rallies.

After the game, Gauff said she is pleased with the way she performed after her victory in the semi-final.

“I am aware that Zheng is the world No. 1 for a reason, so I know that our match will always be difficult. Zheng is also playing excellent tennis, but all I need to do to win is play with confidence. I’m not anxious. My reward for the season has been to be here.”

Zheng, the Olympic champion from this summer’s Paris Games, who easily defeated Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 in the other semi-final, will face the 20-year-old American in the final.

The 22-year-old Chinese player, who is attending the WTA Finals for the first time, has had an incredible run.

In their lone prior encounter, which took place on clay in Rome earlier this year, Gauff defeated Zheng.

Coco Gauff pushed Aryna Sabalenka to an eighth breakpoint in their semifinal match at the WTA finals, but Sabalenka prevailed in the most amazing match.

“I just think it’s such an admirable quality of Gauff’s that she finds a way to get the job done. It feels like she has been around for a long time… she’s got such a wise head on young shoulders”, she’s got such a wise head on young shoulders”, Sabalenka said.

Gauff continued to respond with her athletic prowess despite Sabalenka throwing everything at her.

It was an incredible match, and the final will be highly competitive.

In contrast, Zheng, who has won 30 of her last 35 tour matches, maintained her impressive recent play by easily defeating Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion this year.

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Zheng appeared to be in total control when leading 3-0 and a set in the second set, but Krejcikova rallied thanks to a bad serve, and the two-time Grand Slam champion nearly had to play to a decider.

Zheng eventually won her second match point after winning the pivotal break of serve in the eleventh game of the second set.

“It feels so special,” Zheng said in her on-court interview afterwards. “This is my first WTA Finals and I’m in a final. That’s really unbelievable.

“It was tricky because at 3-0 I think I dropped my focus, my performance went down and then she played more free.

“I didn’t panic, I just said let’s get back my focus. It was a really hard match for me but it just shows I’m mentally strong.”

Zheng is the youngest Asian player to advance to the season-ending event final since Petra Kvitova in 2011 and the second after her countrywoman Li Na.

WTA Finals:

• Location: King Saud University Indoor Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Time: 11 am ET
• Date: Saturday November 9