JESSICA PEGULA VS. COCO GAUFF | WIHAN FINAL

 

COCO GAUFF GRABS WUHAN OPEN TITLE AFTER SEEING OFF 'THREE-SET QUEEN' JESSICA PEGULA

Third seed secures crown after winning all-American final having not dropped set through whole tournament

Coco Gauff after beating Jessica Pegula in the Wuhan Open final. Reuters

Coco Gauff overcame “three-set queen” Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday to clinch the third WTA 1000 title of her career in an all-American final at the Wuhan Open.

The third-seeded Gauff secured the trophy without dropping a set after a one hour 42 minute battle in the central Chinese city.

In the first final between the former doubles partners, Gauff erased multiple deficits in the second set to improve her head-to-head record against Pegula to 3-4.

The 21-year-old in the process became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals.

Gauff also cemented her status as the player with the highest winning percentage at WTA Tour-level events in China in the Open Era (22-3, 88 per cent - minimum –0 matches).

“It was a great Asian swing,” said Gauff, who reached the semi-finals in Beijing last week, before winning the title in Wuhan.

“I’m going to call JC [Jean-Christophe Faurel, my coach] out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open but I had to prove him wrong. I’m a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here.”

The pair had contrasting routes to the final with Gauff breezing dropping a mere 16 games while Pegula battled through three-setters in all eight of her previous matches.

“You’re the three-set queen, so I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt like the odds would be in your favour in the third set,” Gauff said as she congratulated Pegula during her victory speech.

“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms and that really goes a long way and still goes a long way, so I appreciate you.

“It’s great to finally play in a final against you and I hope for many more. It’s an honour to share the court with you.”

Gauff won the first six points of the match and it set the tone for what was to come, as she leapt to a 3-0 advantage.

Pegula recovered from her slow start and went on the attack in game seven, breaking with a fierce backhand winner that helped her get back on level terms at 4-4.

It looked like the sixth seed had swung the momentum her way but Gauff found a tiny opening two games later and broke to secure the opening set in 47 minutes.

Pegula had come back from 2-5 down in her deciding set against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka the day before and was more than ready for another fightback.

Gauff has been reworking her serve with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan since the end of August.

And while her numbers have improved since she added him to her team, the shot remains susceptible to ebbs and flows during stressful situations.

The world No 3 double-faulted six times, allowing Pegula to break her twice for a 3-0 lead, then steadied the ship by getting both breaks back to draw level.

There was another exchange of breaks, Pegula inching ahead with a cunning drop shot and Gauff pegging her back thanks to winning 10 consecutive points.

Shortly after, Gauff raised her arms in celebration as a Pegula volley sailed wide on match point.

“It’s an honour to play you, as a friend and fellow American in the final, it’s our first final, so that was a lot of fun being able to play,” Pegula told Gauff during the trophy ceremony.

The 31-year-old also gave a shoutout to her fitness trainer John Opfer, who helped her withstand such a gruelling Asian swing that included a semi-final run in Beijing and a runner-up showing in Wuhan.

“I don’t think I’ve played this much hours on the court in such a short amount of time and actually felt good,” added Pegula.

Both Pegula and Gauff will now shift their focus to next month’s WTA Finals, where Americans represent half of the eight-player singles field.

- Reem Abulleil

ARYNA SABALENKA VS. JESSICA PEGULA | WUHAN SEMIFINAL

 

CHINA'S XIAO GUODONG CAPTURES FIRST-EVER RANKING TITLE AT WUHAN OPEN

Xiao Guodong of China prepares to take a shot against Si Jiahui of China in the final at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 12, 2024. /CFP

Xiao Guodong of China outlasted compatriot Si Jiahui 10-7 in the final at the World Snooker Tour (WST) Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Saturday, winning the first ranking title of his career.

Both players overcame a series of top opponents to advance to the championship contest. Xiao knocked out World No. 2 Kyren Wilson and world champion Shaun Murphy of England, while Si defeated World No. 1 and 29-time ranking event winner Judd Trump of England.

The match at the China Optics Valley Convention & Exhibition Center marked the third time for two Chinese players to face each other in a final. Eleven years ago, Xiao found himself on the losing end of the first all-Chinese title match on the Tour, when he fell to Ding Junhui 10-6 in the Shanghai Masters final in 2013.

Xiao closed the first session leading 6-3. He took four of the first five frames and tallied breaks of 128 and 73 in the eighth and ninth. Si, despite being outperformed, reeled off a century run of 108, in addition to two breaks of 84, in the three frames he clinched.

Xiao Guodong (R) of China displays the championship trophy after beating Si Jiahui of China 10-7 in the final at the Wuhan Open in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 12, 2024. /CFP

Xiao started the second session with an 82-0 run in the 10th frame, but Si immediately responded a break of 109 to take the 11th. Xiao then extended his lead to 9-4 with a century run of 113, and a break of 77, in the following two frames.

Although Si rallied again to claim three straight frames, including rolling in a break of 131 in the 15th, Xiao came back by laying a snooker on the last red ball in the 16th to seal the deal.

"Before winning a title, I thought the moment of victory would be incredibly exciting," the 35-year-old Xiao said. "I'm really happy now, but it's not as overwhelming as I imagined. Nevertheless, I feel that all the hard work over the years has finally paid off. For a player, winning a title is extremely important. I turned professional in 2007, and after 17 years of competing, I've finally won my first ranking title. No matter what, it's all been worth it."

"I was a bit nervous in the final, but I have no regrets. I played well enough. It's a bit of a pity, but it's okay. I'll come back next time and aim to win my first title," Si noted. "The Masters (scheduled for January) is an opportunity to play against the top 16 players, which is a great chance to learn from them. Gaining experiences like these will be very helpful for me in the future."

- CGTN

WUHAN OPEN FINALS: PETRA KIVTOVA BEATS DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA TO WIN WUHAN OPEN

Petra Kivkova seeded 14th provided a great display of tennis and in doing so beat Slovak 10th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 6-1 in game that took 62 minutes...The Czech won her 1st title this year and her 2nd Wuhan title...Before that she beat world number 1 Angelique Kerber, Johanna Konta from Great Britain and Simona Halep.