Wuhan Open: Sabalenka Defeats Gauff in Three-Set Battle to Reach Final

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka staged an impressive comeback from a set down to defeat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday, securing a spot in the Wuhan Open final for the third time. Sabalenka, who won the tournament in 2018 and 2019, extended her undefeated record at the event to 16-0. She will face either Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final.

Gauff, who had been on a nine-match winning streak following her title win in Beijing the previous week, dominated the first set but was hindered by 21 double faults in the semi-final that lasted two hours and 26 minutes.

Sabalenka has now claimed victory in 19 of her last 20 matches, a run that includes her triumphs in Cincinnati and the US Open. Reflecting on the match, Sabalenka praised the energy of the crowd: “The atmosphere was incredible. It felt like one of the biggest matches of my career because the crowd made it feel like a Grand Slam final.”

Sabalenka got off to a slow start, struggling with her serve and forehand as Gauff quickly built a 5-0 lead in just 19 minutes, capitalizing on two breaks of serve. The American was nearly flawless in the first set, dropping only two points on her first serve and allowing Sabalenka just two winners.

However, the second set was a much closer contest, with six of the first eight games going against serve. Sabalenka finally took the lead at 5-4 after 78 minutes of play, applying pressure on Gauff, whose serve faltered at critical moments. Gauff’s rising double-fault tally gave Sabalenka the opportunity to break and even the match.

In the final set, Sabalenka gained the upper hand, winning a marathon third game with seven deuces and three break points to take a 3-0 lead. Although Gauff fought back to level at 4-4, Sabalenka held her nerve to clinch a hard-fought victory.