According to the latest tennis news, Coco Gauff won her eighth WTA title with a victory over the unseeded Czech player Karolina Muchova in the final of the China Open on October 6, 2024. Gauff, the fourth seed, cruised to a 6-1.
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Coco Gauff’s China Open win was her first title since January when she won the Auckland Classic. Her previous performances in 2024 had been inconsistent with a struggle at the US Open, where she failed to defend her 2023 championship title.
Coco Gauff entered the China Open with a renewed sense of purpose driven by her desire to regain her form and confidence. Her decision to part ways with long-time coach Brad Gilbert and bring in Matt Daly as her new coach has proven to be fruitful, as this was her first tournament win under Daly’s guidance.
Throughout the week in Beijing, she had to overcome several tough matches. In fact, she had to battle back from a set down in three of her previous matches.
In each of those matches, Coco Gauff showed her ability to adapt and turn the tide when the pressure mounted particularly in difficult situations. Her improved mental strength was a key factor in her success leading up to the final.
Gauff dominated Muchova in the final with an authoritative display of tennis. The first set lasted only 30 minutes with Gauff breaking Muchova’s serve twice and capitalizing on the Czech player’s unforced errors.
Muchova, who had previously defeated top players like Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, was unable to cope with Gauff’s power and athleticism.
Gauff’s aggressive baseline play combined with her quick movement and ability to chase down difficult shots. The American fired 24 winners during the match compared to Muchova’s 24 unforced errors.
The second set saw Muchova briefly mount a comeback, taking a 2-0 lead after breaking Gauff’s serve early on. Gauff’s serving problems resurfaced as she hit two double faults, giving Muchova the early advantage.
However, Gauff regained control, breaking back immediately to level the set at 2-2. From there, the American went on to win four consecutive games using her aggressive tactics to pin Muchova back and force errors from her opponent.
Muchova’s attempt to regain her footing in the match was thwarted as she continued to struggle with unforced errors. The match ended when Muchova sent a backhand long, handing Gauff her eighth career WTA title.
According to the latest tennis news, Coco Gauff became the first American player to win the China Open since Serena Williams’ triumph in 2013. This victory also made her the first woman in WTA history to win her first seven hard-court finals in the Open Era.
Coco Gauff’s serve had been a point of concern in the past with inconsistent performances in crucial matches. However, in the China Open final, her serve was firing on all cylinders. She served three aces in the match including one to set up two set points in the first set.
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Muchova’s path to the China Open final was an inspiring one. The Czech player ranked 49th in the world, had missed 10 months of action due to a wrist injury that threatened her career.
Muchova proved she was a force, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals and taking down Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals.
However, the final against Coco Gauff proved to be one match too far for Muchova, who struggled to find answers to the American’s aggressive game.
According to the latest tennis news, After the match, Gauff expressed her admiration for Muchova, stating, “It’s great to see you back on court. You’re such an amazing player and hopefully we play many more finals.” Muchova, in turn, praised Gauff’s performance, acknowledging, “You kicked my butt.”
At 20 years old, Gauff became the youngest champion of the China Open in 14 years. Her victory followed in the footsteps of tennis legend Serena Williams, who won the tournament twice in 2004 and 2013.
Coco Gauff has now won eight career titles and her record in tour finals stands at 8-1. Even more is her perfect record in hard-court finals, where she is 7-0, a feat that has never been achieved before in the Open Era.
Coco Gauff’s win in Beijing bolstered her chances of qualifying for the WTA Finals. With this victory, she overtook Jessica Pegula in the rankings to claim the No. 5 spot ahead of the final WTA 1000 tournament of the season, the Wuhan Open.
Coco Gauff’s performance in Beijing sets her up well for the upcoming WTA Finals. Her improved form and growing confidence particularly after the coaching change.
Coco Gauff’s dominance on hard courts as evidenced by her 7-0 record in hard-court finals. She’ll be looking to continue her winning streak and end the year on a high note.
Muchova’s run to the final of the China Open was one of the stories of the tournament. After spending nearly a year out of the game due to injury, she has made a return reaching the finals of WTA 1000 event.
Despite the loss, Muchova proved that she is still a force to be reckoned with. She has shown great mental toughness in her comeback and her wins over top-ranked players like Sabalenka show that she can compete with the best in the world.
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