Coco Gauff rediscovered her champion’s rhythm in Riyadh, outlasting Jasmine Paolini to keep her title defence alive and edge ahead 4-3 in their growing rivalry. The American, who had beaten the Italian in the Wuhan semifinals just three weeks earlier, reversed the outcome of their Rome and Cincinnati encounters with cleaner serving and a sharper forehand pattern. After dropping her opener to Jessica Pegula, Gauff’s 10th win in her last 12 matches steadied her campaign and reaffirmed why she thrives when the stakes are highest.
A Poor Start From Paolini
The story of the opening set was written almost entirely in its first few games. Serving first, Coco Gauff immediately found herself 0–30 down — an early signal that Jasmine Paolini was ready to pounce. But the Italian couldn’t press home the advantage, a pattern that would repeat when she earned 0–40 on Gauff’s next service game. Each time, the American escaped, not through brilliance but through steadiness, while Paolini squandered her chances with untimely errors.
Nothing Works for Jasmine Paolini Despite Her Effort
In between, Gauff broke serve with little resistance to take a 3–0 lead. Paolini finally avoided a 0–4 start after a long, scrappy game filled with deuces, earning her first hold at last. Yet the rhythm of the set was already clear — a meeting between two players still reeling from their opening defeats, each searching for confidence more than dominance.
But Gauff, a proven problem-solver in this format, managed it better. She tightened her serve, struck heavier through the middle, and within minutes had built a 4–1 cushion — a quiet but decisive statement from the defending champion.
At 2–4, Jasmine Paolini mounted another push, edging ahead 15–30 as Coco Gauff faltered with back-to-back double faults — a rare lapse that handed the Italian a lifeline. Suddenly, everything was back on serve, and Paolini barely had to earn it.
The eighth game, however, proved decisive. Paolini started solidly, defending well for 30–0 and then 40–15, while coach Sara Errani urged her on from the box. But Gauff had shifted gears. She won two extended rallies with depth and conviction, earning a break point that she converted by overpowering Paolini once more from the baseline.
From there, the finish was swift. Serving for the set, Gauff rediscovered her rhythm and closed it out with a love hold — 6–3 after 40 minutes. It looked tougher on the scoreboard than it truly was; Paolini simply hadn’t produced enough quality to trouble the defending champion. Three winners in 40 minutes of tennis told the story.
Gauff vs Paolini – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Gauff | Paolini |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.55 | 0.65 |
| Serve Rating | 282 | 207 |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% (17/27) | 73% (24/33) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 59% (10/17) | 54% (13/24) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 82% (9/11) | 30% (3/10) |
| Break Points Saved | 75% (3/4) | 60% (3/5) |
| Service Games | 80% (4/5) | 50% (2/4) |
| Ace % | 0% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 7.4% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 206 | 104 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 46% (11/24) | 41% (7/17) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 70% (7/10) | 18% (2/11) |
| Break Points Won | 40% (2/5) | 25% (1/4) |
| Return Games | 50% (2/4) | 20% (1/5) |
| Pressure Points | 56% (5/9) | 44% (4/9) |
| Service Points | 67% (18/27) | 48% (16/33) |
| Return Points | 52% (17/33) | 33% (9/27) |
| Total Points | 58% (35/60) | 42% (25/60) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 9 | 6 |
| Max Games In A Row | 3 | 2 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h40m | |
Gauff Serves Steady to Reach Her Final Round-Robin Test
At 2–1, after finally holding serve, Jasmine Paolini trudged back to her chair looking drained — and the match clock felt just as weary. Both players were producing too many errors to find any flow; over 50 unforced mistakes in under an hour, a number unbecoming of the WTA Finals stage.
Two games later, Gauff was serving for a 4–2 lead, while Paolini stood on the baseline coughing and visibly struggling. It began to feel like more than fatigue — perhaps illness, perhaps nerves — but certainly a slide toward elimination. For her fans, it was painful to watch.
Moments later, Gauff made the inevitable official. She broke again, then closed the set with a crisp love hold — 6–2 — keeping her semifinal hopes alive and her title defence intact, with Aryna Sabalenka likely already through to the last four. Even a misjudged dropshot at the end couldn’t dent her control; this was all business from the defending champion.
Gauff vs Paolini – Ste Two Stats
| Statistic | Gauff | Paolini |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 1.70 | 0.59 |
| Serve Rating | 313 | 197 |
| Aces | 0 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 65% (11/17) | 63% (15/24) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 82% (9/11) | 73% (11/15) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 67% (4/6) | 11% (1/9) |
| Break Points Saved | – (0/0) | 0% (0/2) |
| Service Games | 100% (3/3) | 50% (2/4) |
| Ace % | 0% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 5.9% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 266 | 51 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 27% (4/15) | 18% (2/11) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 89% (8/9) | 33% (2/6) |
| Break Points Won | 100% (2/2) | – (0/0) |
| Return Games | 50% (2/4) | 0% (0/3) |
| Pressure Points | 100% (2/2) | 0% (0/2) |
| Service Points | 71% (12/17) | 50% (12/24) |
| Return Points | 50% (12/24) | 29% (5/17) |
| Total Points | 59% (24/41) | 41% (17/41) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 5 | 4 |
| Max Games In A Row | 5 | 1 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h:35m | |