Coco Gauff defends Auckland Classic title while Elena Rybakina and Grigor Dimitrov win in Brisbane

January 7, 2024, 07:41 GMT

Updated 30 minutes ago

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Coco Gauff has won ten games in a row at the Auckland tournament

American teenager Coco Gauff successfully defended her Auckland Classic title by coming from a set down to beat Elina Svitolina.

The US Open winner triumphed 6:7 (4:7), 6:3, 6:3 and thus recorded her seventh victory in eight WTA singles finals of her career.

The 19-year-old Gauff has now won 29 of her last 33 singles matches.

Elena Rybakina claimed the Brisbane International title with a dominant straight sets victory over Aryna Sabalenka.

The match was a repeat of last year's Australian Open final, in which Sabalenka came from a set down to win her first major title, but this time Rybakina defeated the Belarusian 6-0 6-3.

An emotional Grigor Dimitrov won his first title in six years by defeating Danish top seed Holger Rune 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the men's final.

In the men's doubles final, Briton Lloyd Glasspool and his Dutch teammate Jean-Julien Rojer won a match tiebreak and beat German top seeds Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz 7:6 (7:3), 5:7, 12:10 through.

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, begins on January 14th in Melbourne.

Qualification for the tournament begins on Sunday. Harriet Dart and Heather Watson are among eight British players hoping to compete in the main draw alongside Katie Boulter, Jodie Burrage, Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray and Jack Draper.

However, Liam Broady will not compete after the 30-year-old withdrew from qualifying after an MRI scan revealed two bone strains in his ankle.

Gauff overcomes tough tests to retain the title

Gauff has never made it past the fourth round at the Australian Open, but her form approaching this year's inaugural major suggests she is ready to improve on that record in 2024.

The teenager lived up to the Grand Slam-winning potential she had shown since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon in 2019 by claiming her first success at her home major in September.

She had lost just 15 games in her four matches in Auckland before Sunday's final, while her nine-game winning streak at the tournament ended without dropping a set.

A meeting with second seed Svitolina proved a much tougher test for Gauff – although she would pass it with admirable composure.

The Ukrainian, who is ranked 25th in the world just nine months after returning from maternity leave, secured the tiebreak at the end of an opening set in which Gauff squandered two set points while leading 5-4.

That was the first set Gauff had lost in two editions of the tournament – and it would be the last.

The American broke Svitolina's serve three times in an impressive response in the second set before winning with a single break in the eighth game of the decider to clinch the title.

“This was the first time I had to defend a title, so I'm really happy that I was able to do that today,” said Gauff.

“I would like to congratulate Elina and her team on an incredible week. What you do as a mother and come back so quickly and at such a high level is inspiring.”

She jokingly added: “Hopefully – not so quickly – I can do it like you.”

Rybakina strikes before the Australian Open

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Elena Rybakina (left) overtook Aryna Sabalenka in Brisbane

Sabalenka entered the Brisbane final on a 15-match winning streak in Australia, but the world number two was no match for the fourth-ranked Kazakh, who made a serious statement ahead of this year's first major.

Neither player had lost a set on their way to the final, but Rybakina took a dominant lead from the start on Sunday.

The 24-year-old quickly won the opening set – without any response from her Belarusian opponent – in just 25 minutes with three consecutive breaks of serve.

Sabalenka conceded another break and was 2-0 down in the second set, but the former world No. 1 stopped the streak of games against her by breaking back in the third game.

Any hope of fighting back was soon dashed by Rybakina, who immediately restored her two-game lead before scoring a comprehensive victory.

It also meant Rybakina cut Sabalenka's lead on her head-to-head record to 5-3 with the year's first Grand Slam looming.

“Despite the score, it’s always difficult to play against you,” Rybakina told Sabalenka after receiving the trophy.

“We always push each other and I think that’s great. We’re improving that way, so hopefully we keep going.”

“It’s been a while” – Dimitrov wins emotional victory

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Grigor Dimitrov secured a straight sets win over Holger Rune in Brisbane

Former world number three Dimitrov had not won a title since the ATP Finals in November 2017 before Sunday's showdown with the promising 20-year-old Rune.

But the 32-year-old Bulgarian, currently ranked 14th, fell to his knees as he ended his long wait by defeating the world number eight in straight sets.

“It's been a while since I've held one of these,” Dimitrov said after being presented with his trophy – his ninth ATP title.

“It's a bit emotional. It’s difficult to put it into words.”

Dimitrov reached his first ATP final in Brisbane in 2013 – losing to Andy Murray – and began the most successful year of his career by winning the title in 2017.

Since then, injuries have hampered his progress, but after ending 2023 with a run to the Paris Masters final, he is now showing signs of revival.

“My love affair began here, 11 years ago in Brisbane, and it continues,” Dimitrov said.

“I’m very grateful to be able to lift the trophy again, it means a lot to me for so many different reasons.”