Gauff beats Linette in Wuhan for 50th win of 2024

October 11

World No.4 Coco Gauff has earned her 50th WTA main draw win of the year as she beat Magda Linette 6-0 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open, potentially setting up a semi-final clash with top seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Former US Open champion Gauff, who has made some grip changes with new coach Matt Daly, struggled with double faults over both sets on Friday but was dominant with her returns in the victory over the error-prone Pole.

“I played well … overall, maybe two bad games,” 20-year-old Gauff said in the post-match interview after extending her winning streak to nine matches.

Linette came close to breaking Gauff twice in the first set but Gauff saved four break points to hold both games, also winning 14 of 21 return points as the former Australian Open semi-finalist fell to a bagel.

Gauff, who made eight double faults in the match, faced a tougher battle in the second set, but one of Linette’s 22 unforced errors gave the American an edge in the seventh game as she got the only break of the set, which sealed the win.

The winner of Friday’s third quarter-final, between US Open champion Sabalenka and Poland’s Magdalena Frech, who earlier in the day saw off Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3 6-2, will play Gauff on Saturday.

“I’ve played them both before, they’re tough opponents,” Gauff said.

Elsewhere, local star and world No.51 Wang Xinyu enjoyed a 4-6 7-5 7-6 (8-6) win over 33rd-ranked Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Third-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini plays fifth seed Zheng Qinwen of China in another quarter-final later in the day.

With AAP.

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