Coco Gauff admits what she had to ask the umpire in the final set tie-break against Qinwen Zheng at the WTA Finals
Coco Gauff recovered spectacularly to defeat Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng at the WTA Finals.
Staring at a scoreline of 5-3 down in the third set, Coco Gauff’s chances of victory looked increasingly unlikely.
In what has summed up her young career so far, she clawed herself back in.
In one of the biggest finals of her career, the American spent nearly three hours on court, simply fighting to stay alive against.
Digging in to take the match to a definitive tie-break, Gauff used every ounce of resolve and grit to topple Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Racing to 6-0 up in the tie-break, Gauff explained the interaction she had with the umpire, just moments before clinching the title.
Coco Gauff reveals what she asked the umpire moments before WTA Finals victory
In the tense final-set tiebreak against Zheng, Gauff sought clarification from the umpire on the scoring format, uncertain if the deciding tiebreak was first-to-seven or first-to-ten.
Speaking after the match at her press conference, Gauff first shared her surprise at how drawn-out the battle had been, saying: “I didn’t expect it to be so long, honestly. I felt with the altitude the match would be quicker, naturally.
“But I knew it was going to be a tough match, yes,” she admitted. “Playing Qinwen – this is the second time we have played – and at the start of the match she was playing a great level.”
She then added a detail about her interaction with the umpire, explaining: “I knew it was going to be tough and honestly I felt pretty confident when it was 6-0 I would win, but I had to double check – as I wasn’t sure if it was a ten pointer or a seven pointer so I just hoped I didn’t jinx myself when I asked the ref.”
Managing to take it 7-2, Gauff fell to the floor to take in the occasion.
A mesmerising week in Riyadh saw her defeat defending champion Iga Swiatek and new world number one Aryna Sabalenka, before seeing off the break-out star of 2024, Zheng in the final.
Coco Gauff avoids the trap Danielle Collins fell into at the 2024 Australian Open
The now not-retiring Danielle Collins mistakenly thought she had secured her Australian Open second-round win when Karolina Muchova hit a wide shot, bringing the score to 7-3 in the third-set tie-break.
Believing the match was over, last year’s runner-up tossed her racquet to the floor, shot a delighted look of victory towards her team, and raised her arms in celebration.
However, as a jubilant Collins walked towards the net, she sensed something was off.
After checking with the umpire, they reminded the now-sheepish American that the final-set tie-break is first to ten.
This ten-point rule has been standard across all four Grand Slams since last year, and it’s been part of the Australian Open since 2019.
A hint of panic drifted in as Muchova rallied to take the score to 7-5, but Collins, after regaining her composure, ultimately clinched the win.
