Gauff becomes the youngest winner: In a three-hour game on Saturday, Coco Gauff beat Zheng Qinwen of China 3-6 6-4 7-6(2) to become the first American winner since Serena Williams ten years ago and the youngest player to win the Women’s Tennis Association Finals since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
Gauff, 20, easily won the year-end global number three position for the second consecutive year following soaring to a 6-0 lead in the final set tiebreak.
Since time records began to be kept in 2008, it was the longest WTA Finals main event.
In less than an hour, Olympic gold champion Zheng, who was seeded seventh and was competing in her first WTA Finals, defeated Gauff by saving all five break points she faced.
Despite failing to convert two match points at 6-5 in the third set, the former U.S. Open Champion won the tiebreak and ended the match in spectacular fashion after the American rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the second set.
WTA Finals: Gauff becomes the youngest winner
After overcoming a break deficit in the second set and falling behind a break twice in the third, a tenacious Gauff took advantage of Zheng’s mistakes after the Chinese player established a 2-0 lead to gradually turn the tide in her favor.
Gauff responded after Zheng, 22, who was serving for the match at 5-4, was undone by four unforced errors.
“The match was fantastic. Third seed Gauff praised Qinwen’s incredible tennis play. “I just did everything I could to persevere, and I never gave up.”
It’s another point, another chance, I was telling myself. I’ve been able to turn things around in similar circumstances before, and I was able to accomplish so today as well.
The youngest player:
Gauff defeated the world’s top-ranked player and runner-up in a tournament, making her the youngest player to do so in eighteen years, since Russian Sharapova at the 2006 U.S. Open.
Gauff finished 2-1 in the Orange Group, defeating defending champion and world number two Iga Swiatek and fellow American Jessica Pegula, but losing to Barbora Krejcikova. In the semifinals, she then shocked Aryna Sabalenka, the top-seeded player in the world.
This season, Gauff won the China Open in Beijing, advanced to the semifinals in Wuhan, and advanced to the final four in the Australian Open and French Open events.
Zheng defeated Wimbledon champion Krejcikova in the semifinals after losing her opening match against Sabalenka at the WTA Finals. She also defeated fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini and fifth seed Elena Rybakina to finish second in the purple group.
In May, Gauff defeated Zheng in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome, her sole prior encounter with the player.
After Li Na in 2013, Zheng was the only other Chinese player to advance to the WTA Finals final.
“I would like to convey my gratitude to everyone that attended tonight. The week was lengthy. I’m grateful for my medical team and all the personnel for their efforts to keep me well,” Zheng remarked.
“This year, I’ve faced a lot of matches, but I’m still fighting on the court. Many thanks. Without you, I would not be here. Congratulations to the winner. This is your first title. I hope you have an amazing future.
