Sunday 7 January 2024

Gauff wins 2nd straight Auckland title

Final day in Auckland.

2024 ASB Classica WTA 250 tournament, on Hard Outdoor, Auckland, New Zealand, 1-7 January 2024

Defending champion:
Coco Gauff (1) who defeated qualifier Rebeka Masarova 6-1 6-1

Final:

Coco Gauff (1) (USA) v Elina Svitolina (2) (Ukraine)

The pair met once previously - Svitolina won in the second round of the 2021 Australian Open.

Players exchanged service breaks in games four and five of the opening set.
A further exchange of breaks occurred in games eight and nine.
Eventually a tie break was required.

Svitolina jumped to a 6-2 lead,and held four set points.
Gauff saved two, but not enough to prevent Svitolina from taking the set 7-6(4).

Gauff broke serve in game one of set two.
Svitolina saved a break point in the fifth game before holding and avoided going down a double break.
Gauff was ahead 3-2.
Gauff saved two break points in the following game and held for 4-2.

Svitolina was broken again in the seventh game and Gauff would serve for the set at 5-2.
Gauff was broken when serving for the set, and her lead was cut to 5-3.

Serving to stay in the set, Svitolina saved two set points, but not a third, and Gauff levelled the match at 6-7(4) 6-3.

Svitolina saved a.break point and held serve in game two of set two, a game interrupted by a medical time out for the second seed.

No more break chances until the eighth game where Gauff broke and led 5-3.
Serving for the match, Gauff saved a break point before proceeding to victory 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3

A successful defence of her title which was title number seven, and first since the 2023 US Open.

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