American star Coco Gauff powered past world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4), 6-3 in the WTA Finals semi-final on Friday to set up a showdown with China’s Zheng Qinwen in Saturday’s final. Undaunted by Sabalenka’s year-end number one ranking, the American held her own to make her first final at the elite end-of-season event.
The contest got underway pretty tight-the head-to-heads were evenly poised at 4-4 between the two, followed by exchanges of breaks for the next few games. In the first set, Sabalenka then serving for at, was forced into a tiebreak by Gauff. Then, Gauff surged to in the tiebreak, but Sabalenka saved two set points before she won the opener.
In the second set, the teenager surged ahead 4-1 as she saved seven break points in a six-game marathon game that visibly shook Sabalenka. After the Belarusian broke back, it was Gauff’s turn to counter with another to seal.
In the final, she will face the seventh seed Zheng, who defeated Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 7-5 in an earlier semi-final. Competition debutante Zheng maintained her calm as she sealed her spot in the championship match that will be the advertised thrilling encounter between two rising stars.
