Coco Gauff reaches first clay-court final, to face Wang Qiang in Emilia-Romagna Open summit clash

It will be a second career WTA final for the 17-year-old Coco Gauff, who reached her first semifinal on clay last week at the Italian Open.

Published : May 21, 2021 22:58 IST

Coco Gauff reached her first clay-court final by beating Katerina Siniakova 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 on Friday at the Emilia-Romagna Open.

It will be a second career WTA final for the 17-year-old American, who reached her first semifinal on clay last week at the Italian Open. She is gearing up for the French Open, which starts May 30.

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In Saturday’s final, Gauff will face 48th-ranked Wang Qiang, who defeated former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 7-6 (3). Wang trailed 5-1 in the second set before rallying to close it out.

Gauff is aiming for her second career title, having won her only previous final in Lienz, Austria, in 2019. She improved to 11-3 on clay this year.