Arriving in Saudi Arabia with “reservations” about holding the competition in the conservative kingdom, accused by Western NGOs of violating human rights and those of women in particular, Gauff adopted a more moderate tone in her victory speech, thanking the Saudi FA for organizing “a fantastic tournament”. “This is my first time in Saudi Arabia and I had a wonderful time, much more fun than I expected,” enthused the first American to triumph in the tournament which brings together the eight best players in the world. the season since his idol Serena Williams in 2014.
For the standard bearer of the American delegation at the last Olympic Games, who had experienced disillusionment by being eliminated in the round of 16 in Paris, the season ended in apotheosis with this 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory ( 7/2) against the first Chinese finalist at the Masters since Li Na in 2013.
In October, the winner of the US Open 2023 had already won the WTA 1000 (the most important tournaments after the 4 Grand Slams) in Beijing and reached the semi-finals of the one in Wuhan.
Zheng Qinwen, reigning Olympic champion and finalist at the Australian Open at the start of the year, on the other hand failed to become the first Asian player to triumph at the WTA Masters, created in 1972. She will, however, reach the best ranking of his career (5th).
Gauff now leads 2-0 in her confrontations with the Chinese, whom she had beaten more easily on the clay court of Rome in the spring.
But it took her more than three hours to snatch victory, in a high-flying match full of twists and turns.
$4.8 million
In a very tight first set, Zheng Qinwen first had to resist Gauff's attacks, dismissing four break points in his first three service games.
After having in turn saved a break point, Gauff experienced a gap in the eighth game, losing his serve on a shutout (5-3) before letting the set slip away (6-3).
The Chinese took her opponent's serve from the start in the second set and quickly led 3-1. Gauff gradually returned to the game and was finally more realistic on her break points to take her opponent's throw three times and equalize at a set everywhere (6-4).
The decisive set was just as rich in adventures. Less imperial than usual in the service but very solid in the game, Zheng Qinwen led 5-4, service to follow before saving two match points and pushing his opponent to the tie-break.
The native of Shiyan (central-eastern China), recent winner of the WTA 500 in Tokyo, cracked in the deciding game, letting Gauff escape at 6-0 then win the tie-break 7-2.
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