Going Fourth: Gauff Stops Paolini for Fourth Final of Year in Wuhan

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 11, 2025
Photo credit: Wuhan Open CVG

It was a break-fest and ultimately a breakthrough for Coco Gauff.

Reigning Roland Garros champion Gauff converted seven of nine break points defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 to power into her fourth final of the season at the Wuhan Open.

The third-seeded Gauff will face either world No. 1 and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka or sixth-seeded compatriot Jessica Pegula in tomorrow’s final.

The 21-year-old Gauff has not dropped a set en route to her first final since she defeated Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 to win her maiden French Open championship in June.

It is Gauff’s third WTA 1000 final of the year as she avenged her 6-4, 6-2 loss to Paolini in the Rome final last May.

In a match that featured a combined 12 service breaks and seven double faults from Gauff, the Delray Beach-born baseliner relied on her mental strength, speed around the court and some timely strikes to prevail.

Trailing 2-3 in the second set, Gauff reeled off four games in a row to defeat Paolini for the first time since the 2023 Cincinnati Open and level their head to head series at 3-3.