By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday January 7, 2024
Coco Gauff completed a successful title defense at Auckland, grinding out a three-set victory over Elina Svitolina in the final.
Photo Source: Getty
Coco Gauff became the fourth player to successfully defend the ASB Classic title in New Zealand on Sunday, defeating Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in a spirited battle, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 for her seventh career title and first of the young 2024 season.
"This is my first time ever having to defend a title," Gauff said after the final. "So I’m really happy I was able to do it today,” said Gauff. “This year’s tournament was a lot different.
“Last year it rained almost every single match and we were playing indoors with just a few people watching, so it’s really cool to play in front of a packed crowd almost every match.”
Gauff dropped the opener, failing to convert a pair of set points, marking the first set she has dropped at Auckland since 2022, but stayed the course and won 12 of the final 18 games to earn her first career win over Svitolina in the pair’s second overall meeting.
The 19-year-old American converted six break points from 13 opportunities and won 43 of 60 first serve points to clinch her triumph in two hours and 35 minutes.
The American cracked 32 winners against 21 for Svitolina.
Gauff improves to 7-1 lifetime in WTA finals while Svitolina drops to 17-5 in title matches.
Gauff becomes the fourth player to win back-to-back titles in Auckland, joining Patty Fendick (1988 and 1989), Eleni Daniilidou (2003 and 2004) and Julia Goerges (2018 and 2019).
The third-ranked American, the 2023 US Open champion, has now won 29 of her last 33 matches on tour.
More to follow…