Svitolina beats Gauff in three-hour thriller to reach the final in Dubai

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Svitolina[/a] secured her ‌[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/svitolina-e-jyngIesG/?mid=6qmysT4s"]second consecutive victory[/a] over the world number four in a gruelling three-hour ‌encounter, having previously beaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Gauff[/a] in straight sets at last month's Australian Open quarter-finals.[/p][p]Two-time ‌Grand Slam champion Gauff struggled with double faults throughout the opening ‌set as Svitolina seized control, breaking decisively to claim it 6-4.[/p][p]Gauff roared back in the second set, displaying her trademark fighting spirit to force a tiebreak.[/p][p]The American then saved four ‌match points in a breathtaking 15-13 tiebreak thriller, ⁠keeping her hopes alive and electrifying ‌the Dubai crowd.[/p][p]The momentum swung back and forth in the decider, with the ninth game ​proving pivotal as it repeatedly went to deuce. Svitolina eventually held her nerve to edge ahead 5-4 before serving out the match ​to seal a hard-fought victory.[/p][embed guid="fbc5671b-2dbf-46e4-9116-9415c9809b7c" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2024934324047585351" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I'm speechless after that fight. I was really trying to put myself out there, playing as if there was no tomorrow,"[/b] ⁠Svitolina said.[/p][p][b]"It's really special to ​be in the final again after a few years. Coco is such a big fighter. I was expecting her to come back in the match. She's won so many big tournaments. I'm very pleased with the fight and the ‌win," [/b]she added.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Pegula[/a] shook off a first-set stumble ‌to defeat fellow American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anisimova-amanda/nwkutKbi/"]Amanda Anisimova[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/anisimova-a-nwkutKbi/pegula-j-KdojxrAR/?mid=lbkRC5p3"]1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final.[/a][/p]