Coco Gauff wins her first WTA title in Linz, Austria 

After her sensational Wimbledon performance about 3months ago, Coco Gauff has shown on many occasions that she is a future star. Today, the young American tennis star defeated 2017 French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko to clinch her first-ever WTA title. Coco was knocked out at the second round of qualifying by world No. 130, Tamara Korpatsch but got a place back in the first round as a lucky loser, due to Maria Sakkari withdrawal from the tournament with a right wrist injury. The young tennis star expressed her excitement and how her father believed in her. She said: “I’m still overwhelmed and shocked. I guess it’s crazy to say it’s my first WTA title. This was definitely not on the calendar at the beginning of the year, because I didn’t think I’d have a chance to get in, and now I’m a champion. My dad told me when I got in, before the first main-draw match, he said: ‘You can’t lose twice in the same tournament’. I’m sure he never thought it would come this far, to being the champion, but I guess he was right.” 

Coco becomes the youngest player at 15 years to win a WTA singles title since Nicole Vaidisova in 2004. She also becomes the youngest U.S. woman to win a tour single since 1991 and she is also younger than both Serena and Venus Williams (both at 17) when they won their first titles. Coco before the tournament was ranked out of Top 100 but she will move up to 71 in the latest WTA ranking tomorrow. 

Coco road to her first career title 

Coco Gauff defeated Stefanie Voegele (6-3, 7-6(3)), Kateryna Kozlova (4-6, 6-4, 2-0 Retired), Kiki Bertens (7-6(1), 6-4) and Andrea Petkovic (6-4, 6-4) to make a final with Jelena Ostapenko. Coco defeated the former French Open champion, Jelena (6-3, 1-6, 6-2) to win the title. 

Gauff started the final match on a high note after taking care of two break points in her opening service game. The American teen tennis player used great depth of shot to draw errors and slammed an ace to reach 3-0. 

Ostapenko was finding her way back in the game after a wicked backhand down the line to get on 3-1. With an ace, the teen tennis star (Coco) reached a set point when she was leading 5-3 and won the opener. 

The 2017 Roland Garros champion (Ostapenko) dominated the second set with a fine display that Coco Gauff had nothing but praise on her. She (Coco) said: “In the second set, Jelena started coming up really fast, hitting winners, and there was not much I could do.”

Gauff fought back in the final set to reach 5-0. Ostapenko ground game started to get back into rhythm, and she held on for 5-1. The former world No.5 went again and broke Gauff at love to reach 5-2. Coco Gauff regrouped in the game afterwards and gained her last match point to have her name written among WTA singles titlists. 

Coco admitted she showed character in the third set, she said: “I started off the third set really strong,” Coco added. “It’s been an unbelievable week for me.”