Mar 22, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Coco Gauff (USA) celebrates after match level in opposition to Maria Sakkari (GRE)(not pictured) on day 5 of the Miami Open at Laborious Rock Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Geoff Burke-Imagn Photographs No. 4 seed Coco Gauff dominated No. seed Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 64 minutes within the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday.
Gauff arrange a showdown within the closing in opposition to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who took care of enterprise within the semis with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over No. 17 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.
Gauff reached the ultimate at this WTA 1000 occasion for the primary time and is on the precipice of her first title of 2025.
Gauff’s serve was in peak type Thursday, as she received a whopping 19 of 21 first-service factors (90.5 p.c) and solely misplaced six service factors general. She had seven aces to Swiatek’s one, and Gauff felt that her opponent didn’t make her run across the court docket to maintain up.
“I feel (it was) the mentality that I had the entire match,” the 21-year-old American mentioned in her on-court interview. “I used to be aggressive and performed with margin. Possibly it wasn’t her greatest stage.
“For me, it was simply ensuring my stage stayed the identical. Within the second, I raised it.”
Gauff holds a 5-4 edge within the all-time head-to-head sequence with Sabalenka, her most notable victory coming within the 2023 U.S. Open closing, Gauff’s first and to date solely Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka is heading to her fourth Madrid closing. She received in 2021 and 2023 and fell to Swiatek final 12 months.
“Thanks a lot guys for the ambiance you convey right here,” Sabalenka informed the group after the match, per Tennis 365. “It is actually fulfilling enjoying in entrance of you. I actually love this stadium.”
Sabalenka received 29 of her 38 first-service factors (76.3 p.c), saved 5 of seven break factors and transformed 4 of 6 alternatives to interrupt Svitolina.
Down 40-0 within the closing sport, Svitolina saved one match level however couldn’t replicate the feat.
Gauff and Sabalenka will meet on Saturday to play for the title.
–Discipline Stage Media
