the American Coco Gauff won this Saturday for the first time against the Polish Iga Swiatek (n.1), after seven defeats in seven, and qualified for the final of Cincinnati WTA 1,000where it will be measured by one between Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and the Czech Karolina Muchova.
Gauff19 years old, won the two hour and fifty minute battle against swiateka rival who has beaten him twice this year and also denied him the title at Roland Garros in 2022.
The young American, number seven in the world ranking, will fight for the third title of his season, after approx Auckland and Washingtonconquered two weeks ago.
He became only the second tennis player under the age of twenty to make it that far in a WTA 1,000 after Belarusian Viktoria Azarenka.
swiatekwho became the champion of Doha, Stuttgart, Roland Garros and Warsaw this season, he surrendered in the semifinals for the second consecutive tournament, after last week Montreal against another American, Jessica Pegula.
Gauff sealed the eleventh victory of his career against a rival from top-10 of the world rankingand must suffer to the end to fall swiatek.
They overcame a break from a deficit in the first set and, from 3-5, forced a tiebreaker which they won conclusively 7-2 to take advantage.
however, Swiatek, playing her fifth semifinal at a WTA 1,000 this season, reacted, served more solidly and made two good breaks.in the third and ninth games, to tie the game.
The players held their serves in the deciding set. Neither of them conceded break balls until the seventh game, when Gauff gave the game a blow with a ‘break’ at three o’clock.
Already on the ropes, with 3-4 in the light, Swiatek got a break ball, but Gauff was able to cancel it out and open the way to victory. He needed four match balls before he could unleash his joy.
The American, considered a possible tennis dominator for years to come, is the first tennis player under the age of twenty to reach the Cincinnati final since Russian Vera Zvonareva did so in 2004.
In the final this Sunday, they will face the winner of the intermediate match Sabalenka and Muchovarespectively number two and 17 in the world ranking.
These two players have already met this year in the semifinals of Roland Garros, when Muchova qualified for the final. He will lose the title against Swiatek.
Sabalenka will compete for her third final in Cincinnati, after 2018 and 2022. Last year, the Belarusian lost to French Caroline García.
If Muchova wins the semifinals, the Czech will reach the tenth position in the ranking, the best of her career.
Sabalenka defeated Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals, while Muchova advanced after compatriot Marie Bouskova withdrew after just three games.
Source: La Verdad
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