Warrior Win: Svitolina Out-Duels Gauff in 3-Hour Epic to Reach Doha Final vs. Pegula

By Chris Oddo | Friday, February 20, 2026
Photo credit: Australian Open Facebook

Elina Svitolina reinforced her reputation as a tennis warrior today.

Svitolina dealt with the disappointment of four match points dissipating in the tiebreaker then went into warrior mode out-dueling Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(13), 6-4 in a wild clash to advance to her fifth career WTA 1000 final in Dubai.

Two-time Dubai champion Svitolina will face Jessica Pegula in the final.

Pegula vs Svitolina head-to-head: Pegula leads 5-3

The fourth-seeded Pegula lost nine of the first 11 games then rebounded to defeat second-seeded Amanda Anisimova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. It was Pegula’s fifth win over Anisimova in as many meetings.

Svitolina saw Gauff save four match points during that marathon 85-minute second set.

That lost opportunity might have mentally broken even some elite players.

Not the strong-willed Svitolina.

The 2017-2018 Dubai champion regrouped, saved two break points in an epic 20-point game to hold for 5-4 in the final set then converted her sixth match point to close an adventurous three hour, three-minute triumph.

It was Svitolina’s second straight win over Gauff.

The 31-year-old Ukrainian rudely dispatched Gauff from this year’s Australian Open quarterfinals with a 59-minute thrashing.

Gauff was broken twice in the opening set, with Svitolina taking a timely second break at 4-4 and serving out the opener without any trouble.

It appeared that the American might be headed to a swift demise like the one she had suffered in Melbourne, but Gauff steadied herself in the second set and starting matching the intensity of Svitolina on the forehand side.

The No.3 seed saved a break point to avoid going 3-0 double-break down and from there mounted a rally, levelling at three-all and then holding to pull ahead 4-3.

Soon, things would get really interesting as two of the greatest tacticians on the WTA Tour engaged in all-out war down the stretch in set two.

Another hold put Gauff up 5-4, and after Svitolina saved a pair of set points while serving at 6-5, a second-set tiebreak ensued.

Gauff’s 11th double-fault gave Svitolina the 3-2 edge in said breaker, and Gauff reclaimed that mini-break, but soon a backhand volley winner gave Svitolina match point with the American serving at 5-6 in the breaker.

Aggressive play from Gauff got her out of trouble. A theme for the next ten minutes.

After a brilliant display at net in which Gauff hit three successive volleys, the third for a winner, Gauff had a fifth set point at 9-8, but it too went begging.

A drive volley putaway gave Svitolina a second match point, again with Gauff serving. The American wasn’t ready to give up the quest.

A smash levelled things at 10-all.

Soon, a sixth set point came knocking, but a wild backhand by Gauff left the American muttering to herself. 11-11. Another forehand winner gave Svitolina a third match point, and again the boldness and athleticism of Gauff entered the equation.

A perfectly angled crosscourt backhand got Gauff out of trouble again. 12-12.

Even after a 12th double fault gave Svitolina her fourth match point, the American would not relent. She bravely attacked the net two points later and converted her seventh set point to bring the match level.

In the decider, Svitolina showed her precision and tactical acumen after the pair traded breaks to open the final set.

Tension escalated at 4-all as Svitolina faced severe stress but stood tall fighting off both break points to finally hold for 5-4 sending Dubai fans into a frenzy.

On the Ukrainian’s sixth match point, Gauff put a forehand into net. Svitolina dropped her racquet to the court and closed her eyes for a moment as if absorbing the emotional impact of winning a classic clash in three hours, three minutes.

Svitolina exploited 12 double faults from Gauff and converted six of 11 break-point chances.