Coco Gauff: Elena Svitolina reaches Dubai final, Team USA defeated in epic match
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina defeated world number four Coco Gauff to set up a match against Jessica Pegula in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
American Pegula took the lead in the semifinals, fighting back from a disastrous first set and breaking serve early in the second set to beat compatriot Amanda Anisimova 1-6 6-4 6-3.
The 21-year-old Gauff had a chance to reach the national finals on Saturday, but Svitolina prevailed 6-4 6-7 (13-15) 6-4 in an epic match that lasted three hours and three minutes.
The 31-year-old Svitolina failed to win four match points in the second set tie-break, but still managed to win the deciding set.
This means she returns to the event finals for the first time since winning back-to-back Dubai titles in 2017 and 2018.
“I play like there’s no tomorrow, just trying to do whatever it takes,” she said.
In the men’s Qatar Open, world number one Carlos Alcaraz maintained his perfect start to 2026 by defeating Russia’s Andrei Rublev 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 to reach the final.
