Coco Gauff to face Elina Svitolina in the WTA Auckland Classic final
Associated PressAUCKLAND, New Zealand — Coco Gauff will defend her title at the Auckland Classic against Elina Svitolina after beating fellow American Emma Navarro 6-3, 6-1 in a semifinal Saturday. Gauff’s win in Auckland last year was the start of a golden run which culminated when she won her first major title at the U.S. Open. Gauff broke Navarro in the opening game of the second set and went on to win the set in 32 minutes in a controlled and dominating performance. “We played one set in practice over here before the tournament began and she was playing really well so I think I knew I had to be at my best to be able to win.” Gauff’s opponent in Sunday’s final will be second-seeded Svitolina, who needed two medical timeouts on her way to a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Wang Xiyu of China.