Coco Gauff v Jasmine Paolini result - Defending champion Gauff keeps hopes alive with dominant win over Italian at WTA Finals in Riyadh

Coco Gauff bounced back from a chastening opening defeat at the WTA Finals in Riyadh to keep her title defence alive courtesy of a straight sets win over Jasmine Paolini.

The 2024 champion was far more solid throughout as she ousted the Italian eighth seed by a 6-3 6-2 scoreline in one hour and 16 minutes.

Speaking on court following her win, Gauff said: "I’m really happy with how I played today.

"It’s definitely a turnaround from my first match, but the beauty of the tournament is that you have another chance to prove yourself.

"Hopefully I can do well in my next one to give myself a chance to stay in the tournament."

The third seed took charge early and surged into a 4-1 lead before a pair of double faults helped Paolini to break back.

However, Gauff immediately broke again with the help of a trademark cross-court backhand and confidently served out a 40-minute opener to love.

The Italian was more consistent early in the second but was undone by some supreme Gauff defence in the fifth game and the American calmly consolidated to lead 4-2.

Paolini had been suffering with illness on arriving at the tournament and she looked resigned to her fate as Gauff broke again, before sealing victory with a much more assured display in terms of her serve and forehand.

Paolini’s hopes now hang by a thread and she will be eliminated if Jessica Pegula upsets world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka later this afternoon.

Jasmine threatens a late twist with a bounce smash to press at 0-30.

Coco bites back with a hefty backhand but then opts for a howler of a drop shot to offer up break point.

The American resets with a huge forehand to the corner and earns match point from deuce and a power house serve seals the deal!

That will surely be that.

Gauff breaks again as Paolini’s belief and energy levels dip dramatically.

It’s a simple enough game to 15 for the American as she bags the insurance.

Coco will now serve for the match.

Gauff shrugs off a lame slice into the net on the opening point to reel off four in a row and consolidate with aplomb.

This has been a much more confident performance on both the serve and the forehand so far – but will she it through without any twists or turns?

Paolini endures a rollercoaster game as she leads 30-15 and 40-30 but can’t shake Coco off.

The American grits in at deuce, defending brilliantly before counter-punching a crosscourt forehand pass to seize a break point.

The third seed produces more supreme rearguard action to then stay alive in the ensuing rally and lure a rushed forehand into the net from her opponent.

Gauff re-directs a brilliant backhand up the line that forces an error long and plants down a succession of hefty serves before another backhand piledriver concludes a highly convincing love hold.

Gauff produces a delicious, punched volley that she backs up with an overhead to threaten at 15-30.

Paolini retorts with a delightful, knifed stun volley to make Pulp and just about survives a tough exchange after being peppered by Gauff’s leaping backhand.

It’s a key moment as she lands a big serve to avoid any further dramas and grits the hold to 30 to keep her nose in front early in the second.

Coco could feel some heat at 30-30 but she completely dominates the following two rallies, gunning the forehand with authority to cork a pair of winners and power on to the board.

Paolini gets a huge slice of fortune with a crosscourt pass that clips the tape and bamboozles Gauff and her attempts to swat away a volley.

The eighth seed sizzles a beauty of a forehand down the line and then clouts down a couple of venomous first serves to open Set 2 with a very solid game to 15.

Coco Gauff takes charge!

The defending champion serves out a 40-minute opener to love and looks far more assured so far today. 

Gauff is in control of back-to-back rallies, but two forehands bury themselves into the net with the points on her racquet.

The American grimaces in frustration but keeps plugging away and presses to deuce with a mid-court backhand winner.

The hard work pays dividends too as Jasmine coughs up a break point with a loose backhand long.

A pulsating rally follows in what proves to be the final point of the game with Coco sealing the break courtesy of a trademark crosscourt backhand.

It was all going so well for Coco.

But suddenly the yips kick in and two double faults pretty much see her break herself and Paolini is back in business.

Paolini is getting more joy probing the Gauff forehand at the moment and it translates into a most-welcome hold to 15.

That’s excellent from the third seed.

The serve is ticking along quite nicely so far today and it makes life very simple as she motors through a clean hold to maintain her advantage in this opener.

Paolini can’t finish the job at 40-15 and some excellent work from the baseline helps Coco reel off three points in a row and conjure up another break point.

The American blinks first in the ensuing rally to steer a forehand just long but keeps turning the screw as the Italian struggles for cheap points.

Gauff blows a second chance with a poor slice into the net but gets a third opportunity when Paolini sizzles an inside-in forehand just wide.

The defending champion loops a return long to waste another opening and Jasmine finally seizes upon the let-off, luring a forehand long to belatedly get on the board.

It's deja vu as Paolini makes the early running on the return, but on this occasion Coco balloons a wayward forehand way long at 0-30 to offer triple break back point.

The Italian, who is apparently feeling under the weather, continually gestures in frustration as she fails to make any of them count.

A miscue into the net puts Gauff in the ascendancy at deuce and a horrible forehand shank from the eighth seed allows Coco to consolidate via a very scenic route.  

This time it’s Paolini’s turn to feel the heat as she drags another pair of forehands off the island to drop serve to love.

Coco did nail an absolute belter of a forehand down the line in the middle of that shocker from the Italian and she’ll hope that wing continues to stand up to the challenge today.

The Gauff serve immediately comes under pressure as Paolini swishes away a beauty of a crosscourt backhand winner to threaten at 0-30.

The Italian then misfires twice in quick succession off that wing before looking at her team in frustration when she zaps a forehand long.

Coco can’t find a first serve but hangs tough, refusing to cough up an early double fault, and it’s a decent hold to 30 as Jasmine again pings a forehand off the island.

Gauff will serve first.

Jasmine arrives first with Coco not far behind!

Time for the pre-match admin and then it's down to business.