Dubai (AFP) – Elina Svitolina reached her first WTA 1000 final since 2018 with a marathon 6-4, 6-7 (13/15), 6-4 victory over third-seeded American Coco Gauff at the Dubai Championships on Friday. In a rematch of their Australian Open quarter-final last month, Svitolina repeated her success against Gauff, this time after a gruelling three-hour duel, to book a final showdown with another American, Jessica Pegula.
Earlier on centre court, Pegula maintained her perfect record against Amanda Anisimova and triumphed 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in an all-American battle to reach her first final in Dubai. Svitolina has been in fine form so far this season, amassing a 15-2 win-loss record. The Ukrainian seventh seed started her year by winning a title in Auckland, before reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open and now advancing to the third Dubai final of her career.
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She returned to the top 10 in the world rankings earlier this month, for the first time since 2021, and the first time as a mother. “To be honest I’m speechless after that fight,” said the two-time Dubai champion, who needed six match points to close out the win. “I was really trying to put myself out there and was playing like there is no tomorrow, in a way. It’s really, really special to be in a final here and have the chance again to lift that beautiful trophy.”
Gauff once again faced issues with her serve and finished the match with 12 double faults. “I’ve been doing everything you’ve wanted for six months [and I haven’t gotten] any better,” Gauff said, looking towards her box. The 21-year-old hired a biomechanics coach, Gavin MacMillan, to help rework her serve and fix the problems with it, but Gauff continues to struggle with that shot, and struck 16 double faults in her third-round match earlier this week.
Despite that, the two-time major champion found a way to save four match points in the second-set tiebreak to force a decider against Svitolina. Gauff broke early in the final set, but Svitolina pegged her back. The battle went down to the wire, and it was a few mistimed forehands from Gauff that gave Svitolina the opening in the last game to complete an emotional victory. “Coco is such a big fighter, I was expecting she would come back in the match; she won so many big battles, big tournaments. I had to keep fighting, keep pushing. I’m very pleased with the fight, very pleased with the win today,” said Svitolina.
– ‘Happy’ Pegula –
In what was also an Australian Open quarter-final, Pegula fought back from a set and a break down to claim her fifth victory in as many meetings with Anisimova. Pegula made it to at least the semi-finals in each of her last seven tournaments, dating back to the 2025 US Open, and has now reached the 21st final of her career and eighth at the WTA 1000 level.
“At the start of the third it was 1-all and I looked to my coach and said, ‘I’m just happy to still be here right now’,” said Pegula, who turns 32 on Monday. “That would be an amazing birthday present (if I won the title). I’m not going to mention how old I’m turning. I came here with the intention thinking I could play well in these conditions and I’m giving myself a shot at winning the title tomorrow.”
In just the second all-American semi-final in tournament history, Anisimova enjoyed the better start, leaping to a 3-0 advantage, and she extended her lead to scoop the opening set in under 30 minutes. Anisimova broke early in the second, but Pegula finally started to find her game, and after a slew of service breaks, it was the fourth seed who closed out the set to level the contest and force a decider.
Pegula swung the momentum her way and drew first blood in the final set, opening up a 4-1 gap with an inch-perfect lob. It was all she needed to complete her two-hour victory and remain undefeated against Anisimova.
© 2024 AFP
