Gauff vs Svitolina: Auckland Final Analysis (WTA 250)
After the first set slipped away, Gauff took control of medium-length rallies. Then she changed serve patterns in the final set, a decision that brought "short" dividends.
cover 📸 credit: GDL Open twitter
New season, same start for Coco Gauff as she successfully defended the title in Auckland. In the decisive match, Gauff recovered from a first set collapse to beat second-seed Elina Svitolina and secure a 7th career trophy. The win improved Gauff’s record in tournament finals to an impressive 7-1, with the 2022 Roland Garros final (against Iga Swiatek) standing as her only defeat.
Set 1
Gauff looked in control of the first set as she reached a 5-3 40/15 lead and 2 set points. But that was when troubles began. Gauff wasted the first set point on a double fault and Svitolina erased the second with a forcing dropvolley. From Deuce, these two points were virtually replayed. Gauff served another double fault and Svitolina converted the ensuing break point with another dropvolley, this time opening up the court for a winner, to put the set back on serve.
The sudden drop in Gauff’s level lasted until the end of the set and was evident on her serve points.
Coco Gauff Set 1 Serve Performance
until 5-3 40/15: 67% serve points won (16/24); 54% 1st serves made (13/24); 1 double fault
after 5-3 40/15: 40% serve points won (6/15); 33% 1st serves made (5/15); 4 double faults
While the teenager also became tentative with her groundstrokes, Svitolina showed extra pace on her shots and a willingness to attack. The Ukranian’s bravery was rewarded as she claimed the inaugural set with a dominant tiebreak.
Set 2
Svitolina tried to carry her aggressive mindset into the second set, but her efficiency on net attacks and drop shots dropped. Much of it was due to Gauff’s uncanny ability to extend rallies. Ever so focused (despite the disappointing first set), Gauff used her great athleticism to retrieve balls and send them back into difficult spots to extract errors. As a result, Gauff completely owned medium length points.
Set 2 medium-length (5-8 shots) points won
Gauff = 15 / Svitolina = 3