Coco Gauff wins fourth WTA 1000 in Cincinnati

Coco Gauff has secured her first title of the season and strengthened her record at Cincinnati, becoming only the third woman to win the tournament twice. Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka are the other players to have achieved that feat. The success is also the American’s fourth WTA 1000 title and the 12th trophy of her career.

Gauff, ranked fourth in the world, defeated third-ranked compatriot Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 in 74 minutes. She made the difference on the break points, converting five of six chances. Gauff opened the match with a 5-0 lead, briefly allowed Pegula back to 5-2, then broke again to take the set. In the second, she moved 4-1 ahead before Pegula reduced the gap to 5-4. Gauff closed out the final with another break, without dropping a point in that game.

Pegula had led their previous meetings 5-4, but Gauff has now beaten her twice in a row after also winning their Wimbledon encounter in June. The Cincinnati title follows Gauff’s semi-final appearance in Toronto and comes ahead of the US Open, which begins on Monday. Gauff said the progress from last year had been significant and that the quality of her matches during the week could help her use the experience in New York, while stressing that Cincinnati did not guarantee further success.