Coco Gauff is through to the final of the Wuhan Open for the first time after beating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday’s semi-final.
The American third seed had lost all three matches against Paolini earlier this year but turned things around in a tight contest, setting up a final against either defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or sixth seed Jessica Pegula.
“It was 3-0 this year, but I think we’re even now,” Gauff joked after the win. “I’m really happy with how I played, even though it was tough, especially with my serve. But I did what I needed to do.”
The match was full of breaks of serve, with 11 in a row at one point. Gauff finally held serve in the seventh game of the second set and went on to win in just under an hour and a half.
This will be Gauff’s fifth WTA 1000 final and her third of the 2025 season.
“I’ve had a few finals this year, so I’ve got experience now,” she added. “No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m proud of how I’ve played this week.”
For Paolini, a win in Wuhan would have secured her place at the WTA Finals in Riyadh next month. She’s currently in the final qualifying spot and will now have to try and confirm her place at one of the last two tournaments of the season, in Ningbo or Tokyo.
