Coco Gauff beat Jasmine Paolini 6-4 6-3 in 1 hour and 22 minutes to reach her third WTA 1000 final this year and her fourth overall at the Wuhan Open. Gauff will face her compatriot Jessica Pegula, who beat world number Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2).
Gauff recorded her first win over Paolini this season after losing their previous head-to-head matches in Stuttgart, Rome and Cincinnati.
Gauff opened the match with a hold at love. Both players held serve in the first five games before five consecutive breaks. Gauff earned the first break of the match in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, but Paolini broke straight back in the seventh game for 3-4. Gauff broke for the second game in the eighth game to open up a 5-3 lead. Paolini pulled back on serve for the second time in the ninth game, but Gauff broke for the third time in the 10th game to close out the first set 6-4 in 36 minutes. Paolini hit just one winner in the first ten games.
Paolini went up a break three times in the second set, but Gauff pulled back on serve each time. Gauff broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3 for what was the 11th consecutive break between the two players. Gauff hit her seventh double fault at the start of the eighth game, but she won her first second serve point of the set and held for 4-3 breaking the streak. Gauff broke for the seventh straight time in nine return games and served out the win on her third match point.
Gauff has drawn level to 3-3 in her sixth head-to-head matches against Paolini.
Gauff has become the youngest player to reach the final at both the China Open and Wuhan Open at the age of 21.
“I did what I needed to do to get through,” Gauff said after the match. “I’ve played a few finals this year so I have a lot of experience, but regardless of what happens tomorrow, I’m really happy with the effort that I put in for this tournament”, said Gauff.
