American star Coco Gauff secured her eighth WTA title and first since January with a convincing 6-1 6-3 victory over Czech player Karolina Muchova at the China Open.
After struggling with her serve earlier in the week, Gauff showed no signs of weakness, dispatching Muchova in just one hour and 17 minutes. The 2023 US Open champion had been forced to battle back from a set down in her previous three matches.
Gauff jokingly credited her improved form to a visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City with men’s winner Carlos Alcaraz. “I guess the Imperial Palace brought us luck, so maybe I will pay a visit next year to get the same luck.”
Gauff rattled through the opening set in 30 minutes, exploiting Muchova’s unforced errors to claim two breaks of serve. The world number 49 Czech player, recovering from a wrist injury, couldn’t match Gauff’s power and athleticism.
Muchova briefly led 2-0 in the second set, but Gauff broke back immediately, starting a run of four consecutive games. Muchova’s 24th unforced error sealed Gauff’s victory.
Gauff praised Muchova, saying, “You’re such an amazing player – you deserve everything and hopefully you play many more finals.” She also thanked new coach Matt Daly, stating, “Obviously things are going well.”
Gauff’s victory propelled her to fourth place in the Race to the Finals, with the top seven qualifying for the season-ending tournament in Riyadh in November. Next, she heads to the Wuhan Open.
