Way to Coco – Gauff wins ASB Classic final for third career title

Coco Gauff was crowned the ASB Classic champion on Sunday night, defeating Rebeka Masarova 6-1 6-1 in just 75 minutes of play, with the bad weather impacting yet another match at this tournament.

This was the American’s third WTA title and first since Parma in 2021, but there will surely be many, many more to come.

While it was always unlikely that Masarova would win this final, she had played well this week, including her first round win over Sloane Stephens and it was thought she’d put up more of a fight.

However, like everyone else this week, she couldn’t live with the shots, pace and aggression that Gauff hit her with.

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Even though the match itself was short, it was an incredibly long day for both players, with the final scheduled to begin at 5pm, but not finishing until 9.57pm.

And sadly this week will be remembered as much for the rain as it will for breathtaking tennis from Gauff.

It was just typical that there would be a shower before the final could get underway.

Dark clouds emerged over Stanley Street at 4.20pm and by 4.50pm, just 10 minutes before the players were due to walk out, down came the rain.

By 5.45pm the rain had stopped and courts were almost dry, but you guessed it, there was another shower.

Perhaps the only positive of all of this was that Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown was in a box for the final, so got to witness first-hand the frustrations tennis fans have endured the past week and he might be more inclined now to help fund a roof.

At 6.44pm we were at last underway, but with dark clouds above.

Gauff wasn’t hanging around and served two aces in that first game, winning it in just a minute.

She broke the Spaniard in the fourth game and again later in the set. But when Gauff had a set point at 5-1, the rain fell again, taking the players off court at 7.15pm.

At 9.12pm they were back and it took five set points for Gauff to finally take the set.

Gauff broke Masarova immediately and while Masarova did play better after the resumption, there was no let up in the incredible shots from Gauff.

On championship point Gauff put down a disguised drop shot, Masarova raced in but couldn’t lift the ball over the net.

While Gauff may win plenty of titles throughout her career, it’s unlikely she’ll ever have to go through what she did this week in Auckland.