Coco Gauff will face either Karolina Muchova or Qinwen Zheng in the final of the 2024 China Open in Beijing on Sunday, who will meet shortly. She completed the feat with a comeback win against Paula Badosa.
Gauff came back from a 4-6, 2-4 deficit to beat Badosa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a match that might have seen her buckle under the pressure during the American hardcourt tournament a few months ago.
But she showed her brave fighting spirit to stop the Spaniard from reaching the finish line and winning her own piece of history in her resurgence. It’s only the second WTA 1000 final of her career and it’s an important week for her with her new coach Matt Daly. She made 11 double faults today, showing that this facet of her game hasn’t been completely eradicated.
But things have gotten better than they used to be, and everything is coming together in Beijing when it matters most. Badosa, on the other hand, can hold her head high. After having to undergo an injection six months ago to be able to continue her career, she now has the chance to be at the WTA Finals and is in her best form since becoming world number two. It’s been a rocky road, but this week showed she still has what it takes to upset the world’s elite.
Gauff is in a Main Tour final for the first time since January. It wasn’t an easy season to build on 2023, in which she celebrated her greatest successes. But she hopes she can return to the winner’s circle in Wuhan and at the WTA Finals in a final where she is considered the favorite.
However, both Muchova and Qinwen Zheng played perhaps the best tennis of the two semifinalists this week. The Czech ace in particular had hardly any problems, as she did at the US Open, and in the absence of Swiatek, Rybakina and others, she showed that she is currently one of the best in the world. Qinwen Zheng, on the other hand, has the home advantage and has hardly lost a match in the last few months, so an exciting semi-final can be expected. The winner meets Gauff.
20yo Coco Gauff comes back from 4-6, 2-4 to beat Paula Badosa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the final in Beijing.
Just the 2nd WTA 1000 final of her career.
Huge week for her in her first tournament with the new coach, even playing farrrrr from her best (11 DFs today).
