WTA Finals: epic Coco Gauff breaks Qinwen Zheng after dramatic final
11/09/2024 02:25 PM
Coco Gauff comes out victorious from a crazy match, where she seemed on the brink of the abyss twice, beating Qinwen Zheng 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) and completing an epic comeback that, at the end of the third set, seemed impossible. The young American won her first title at the WTA Finals, her 9th in her career and her 3rd of the season, overturning a 2024 that had experienced some ups and downs.
After a good first game on 40-40, the Chinese held her serve with difficulty but made it 1-0 with a fantastic forehand on the line. The balance is still on 3-3: a beautiful backhand passing shot with Gauff at the net is worth 30-30. Then a series of errors in a still very hard-fought match. Advantages and parity, but Gauff forces the Chinese player's forehand into the net. The clutch-moment of the first set comes in the 8th game, when a blackout by Gauff made up of three errors and a double fault sends the Chinese player to serve for the set. No sooner said than done: Qinwen closes the first set 6-3.
Coco Gauff becomes the first American woman to win the WTA Finals since Serena Williams in 2014. Proud. 🇺🇸❤️ pic.twitter.com/7Y0PxrTv0f
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 9, 2024
And the second set opens just as the first one ended: a disconsolate Gauff gifts another break to Zheng, who takes the lead 1-0. Game over? No way! The Chinese player seems in total control until 3-2, but then something unexpected happens. Coco comes back into a match that seemed over with a sensational break, leaving her opponent at love. In the last two games, the American has found a more proactive, aggressive and powerful tennis on every shot, with the Chinese player being surprised. After another break from Gauff, at 5-3 something unexpected happens: Zheng takes the break and closes the gap, but it is not enough to get back in the set, as the young American gets the 3rd break of the set and closes 6-4, taking the match to the 3rd set.
Third set full of errors and breaks. The American loses her serve and goes 0-2 down. However, Coco manages to force her opponent's serve, matching on 2-2. The match seems over when Qinwen gets the break that takes her first to 4-3 and then holds her serve, rising to 5-3. But the match, fun and spectacular, continues sensationally until the tie-break, after the young American had found the unexpected 5-5, taking advantage of the errors (and an incredible moment of tension) from the Chinese.
Gauff d. Qinwen Zheng 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) in Riyadh Over 3 hours. Longest WTA Finals Championship match since 2011. Coco is the WTA Finals Champion for the 1st time in her career And she did it the hard way Beating world #1, #2, #6, & #7 Since 2023, she’s 7-0 in finals ✅9th… pic.twitter.com/W3VTqPGDhY
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 9, 2024
The tie-break was a solo performance by Gauff, who dominated her rival mentally and physically to sensationally close the season with a deserved victory given what was seen at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
NEVER BACK DOWN, NEVER WHAT? 🗣️@CocoGauff is your #WTAFinalsRiyadh CHAMPION! pic.twitter.com/QgJDJagYQg
— wta (@WTA) November 9, 2024
