WTA Finals: Coco Gauff vs. Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka vs. Jessica Pegula – Live | WTA Finals
Main events
Paolini left the court to regroup While Gauff hits some serves despite the lights being out. She gives the Empire a look before returning.
Gauff wins the first set 6-3 against Paolini
Gauff wins the match he likes convincingly after Paolini fades to win the first set. A powerful set from the defending champion, winning 82% of her second serves, clearly working hard in Riyadh on her glaring weakness.
Gauff 5-3 Paolini* (*indicates server): Using the new balls, Gauff scored two forehands, the second coming even after Paolini had moved across the baseline. She scored again to give the Italian a 40-0 lead with her face in her hands. She came back in after Paolini’s shot only Out and then it was her turn to hit a backhand. Gauff then found space to fire a backhand winner to make it 40-40 and the American got the break after Paolini tripped over Gauff’s backhand down the court.
*Gauff 4-3 Paolini (*indicates server): Gauff committed two double faults in a row to give Paolini the match after the Italian had hit some powerful backhand shots earlier. There was a certain inevitability about Gauff’s second double-fault, and you could see it in his body language. Let’s see how it bounces back.
Gauff 4-2 Paolini* (*indicates server): Paolini needed that. She played her best serving game, and with the help of some poor shot selection from Gauff, she got there.
* Jove 4-1 Paolini (*indicates servant): Serving works really well for Gauff. She keeps it simple. Her serve is a little slower, which takes some of the pressure off, but she then uses her speed to beat Paolini across the court. It goes through the game to stick with it.
Jove 3-1 Paolini* (* refers to the servant): Gauff hits two backhand winners in a row as the Italian plays her first ball a little more aggressively than in the first three games. But Goave uses the court to make Paolini chase the ball down the baseline and manages to equalize after a weak second serve from the Italian. The two trade advantage for a while and at the fifth, Gauff scores a backhand. Paolini finally finished off the 8-minute, 58-second match after Gauff sent in a long goal.
* Jove 3-0 Paolini (*indicates server): A long rally ends when the Italian powerfully slices a winner and follows it up with another cross-court forehand that Gauff strains to reach. But she serves three long jabs on successive break points, raising her arms in the air in frustration. Gauff got the advantage and turned the match around to win the set. After another poor comeback from Paolini, this set went into the stands.
Despite all the talk about Gauff’s second serve, she has won all seven points so far. It’s clear that the hard work you put in on the practice courts is paying off.
Jove 2-0 Paolini* (*indicates server): Gauff starts with two powerful forehands and wins a break point after Paolini hits a long one. A good start for the defending champion.
*Goff 1-0 Paolini (*indicates server): The Italian easily led 30-0, and her second point was a brilliant backhand cross-court winner, but she followed it up with another finish. But Gauff came back to hold the three points, in particular winning all three points on her second serve.
Photos and warm-ups have been completed …and play.
Jove and Paolini You have just entered the main field of the indoor arena of King Saud University. Tim Henman and Laura Robson discuss Gauff’s serve struggles and Paolini’s ability to play today after feeling under the weather during her first match. The DJ behind them distractingly plays an EDM beat while colored lights flash everywhere. Anas Jaber tosses a coin. Goff wins and chooses to serve first.
The start of the first singles match It will likely be postponed because the early doubles match has just concluded. Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova defeated Erin Routliff and Gabriella Dabrowski 6-6, 7-6 (3).
Yesterday, players from Serena Williams’ group It was in the match that Elena Rybakina came from behind to stun Iga Swiatek, becoming the first player to book her place in the semi-finals. Amanda Anisimova also returns against Jessica Pegula and will compete for the runner-up spot in the semifinals against Swiatek on Wednesday.
Gauff’s start has been very successful In her career, she won two titles on two different courts at the age of 21. But her serve — specifically her second serve — is holding her back. The world number three committed three consecutive double faults against compatriot Pegula in her first match and spent the season struggling against her form. Here is Tomini Karayol’s ruling:
On the court, she has many assets. Her defensive skills and athleticism are unparalleled, her two-handed backhand is superb, and her intelligence on the court is complemented by an all-around game. Although her forehand can be inconsistent, all evidence suggests that the quality of her second serve will likely determine how far she can go in her career. Gauff leads the tour for success in return matches, having won 46.8% of return games this year and 68.6% of first serve points, which places her 12th in the top 50 players.
The problems start with her second serve. Gauff is the sixth-worst performer in the top 50 in terms of second serve points won this year. However, excluding double faults, she won the second highest percentage of second serve points in the round. If she can reduce her number of double errors, her results will improve significantly.
Read the full analysis below, including how the appointment of tennis biomechanics expert Gavin McMillan has helped the American.
Preamble
It’s do or die for Coco Gauff, the defending champion, and Jasmine Paolini in Stephanie Graf’s group at the WTA Finals. Both players lost their first matches and need to win today if they want any chance of advancing to the semi-finals. The two last played in China during the semifinals of the Wuhan Open. Gauff beat Paolini before winning the title, her third singles title at the WTA 1000. But the head-to-head record was at 3-3 and before Wuhan, Paolini had won his last three matches, including in Cincinnati.
Later, she will face Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Gauff and Paolini, respectively. But the head-to-head matches are more tilted in Sabalenka’s favor, with the world number one winning eight out of 11 matches, including at the US Open in 2024 and 2025. But the American will gain some consolation by defeating Sabalenka in Wuhan last month. Can you repeat the achievement in Riyadh?
Gauff vs. Paolini will take place at 2pm GMT/9am AEDT, while Sabalenka vs. Pegula will take place at 3.30pm GMT/10.30am AEDT. Join me for all the events, and as always, email me your thoughts, questions, and predictions.