American teenager Coco Gauff efficiently defended her Auckland Traditional title by battling again from a set right down to defeat Elina Svitolina.
The US Open champion triumphed 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-3 to document her seventh win in eight profession WTA singles finals thus far.
Nineteen-year-old Gauff has now received 29 of her previous 33 singles matches.
Elsewhere, Elena Rybakina claimed the Brisbane Worldwide title with a dominant straight-set win over Aryna Sabalenka.
The match was a repeat of final 12 months’s Australian Open remaining, during which Sabalenka fought again from a set right down to win her first main title, however on this event Rybakina swept the Belarusian apart 6-0 6-3.
An emotional Grigor Dimitrov clinched his first title for six years by beating Danish high seed Holger Rune 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 within the males’s remaining.
Within the males’s doubles remaining, Briton Lloyd Glasspool and Dutch team-mate Jean-Julien Rojer received a match tie-break to prevail 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 12-10 in opposition to German high seeds Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz.
Elsewhere, Russian world quantity 5 Andrey Rublev continued his Australian Open preparations by beating Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 6-4 to win the Hong Kong Open.
The Australian Open, the primary Grand Slam of the 12 months, begins in Melbourne on 14 January.
Qualifying for the match begins on Sunday, with Harriet Dart and Heather Watson amongst eight British gamers aiming to affix Katie Boulter, Jodie Burrage, Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray and Jack Draper in the principle draw.
Nonetheless, Liam Broady won’t compete after the 30-year-old withdrew from qualifying after an MRI scan revealed two bone stresses in his ankle.
Gauff overcomes robust take a look at to retain title
Gauff has by no means made it past the fourth spherical on the Australian Open however her kind approaching this 12 months’s opening main suggests she is able to enhance that document in 2024.
{The teenager} fulfilled the Grand Slam-winning potential she had proven since bursting on to the scene as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon in 2019 by clinching her maiden success at her dwelling main in September.
She had solely dropped 15 video games in her 4 matches in Auckland previous to Sunday’s remaining, whereas her nine-match successful run on the match had been achieved with out dropping a set.
A gathering with second seed Svitolina proved a a lot sterner take a look at for Gauff – though it was one she would come by means of with admirable composure.
The Ukrainian, ranked twenty fifth on this planet simply 9 months after getting back from maternity depart, clinched the tie-break on the finish of a gap set during which Gauff squandered two set factors when main 5-4.
That was the primary set Gauff had misplaced in two editions of the match – and it might be the final.
The American broke Svitolina’s serve thrice in a formidable second-set response, earlier than a single break within the eighth recreation of the decider allowed her to serve out for the title.
“This was my first time ever having to defend a title so I am actually glad I used to be ready to do this immediately,” Gauff mentioned.
“I might wish to congratulate Elina and your group on an unimaginable week. What you do, being a mum, coming again so quick and at such a excessive stage, is inspiring.”
Joking, she added: “Hopefully – not any time quickly – I am going to be capable of do it such as you did.”
Rybakina strikes blow earlier than Australian Open
Sabalenka entered the Brisbane remaining on a 15-match successful streak in Australia but the world quantity two was no match for the fourth-ranked Kazakh, who issued a severe assertion earlier than this 12 months’s first main.
Neither participant had misplaced a set of their run to the ultimate however Rybakina took cost in dominant vogue from the outset on Sunday.
The 24-year-old swiftly took the opening set – with none reply from her Belarusian opponent – in simply 25 minutes with three successive breaks of serve.
Sabalenka conceded one other break to path 2-0 within the second set however the former world primary halted the run of video games in opposition to her by breaking again within the third recreation.
Any hope of a fightback was quickly extinguished by Rybakina, who instantly restored her two-game benefit earlier than serving out a complete victory.
It additionally meant Rybakina minimize Sabalenka’s lead of their head-to-head document to 5-3 because the 12 months’s first Grand Slam looms.
“Regardless of the rating, it is at all times robust to play in opposition to you,” Rybakina instructed Sabalenka after being introduced with the trophy.
“We at all times push one another and I feel that is nice. We enhance this manner, so hopefully we proceed.”
‘It has been some time’ – Dimitrov earns emotional win
Former world quantity three Dimitrov had not received a title for the reason that ATP Finals in November 2017 previous to Sunday’s showdown with promising 20-year-old Rune.
However the 32-year-old Bulgarian, presently ranked 14th, dropped to his knees as he ended his lengthy wait by overcoming the world quantity eight in straight units.
“It has been some time since I held considered one of these,” Dimitrov mentioned after being introduced along with his trophy – his ninth ATP title.
“It’s kind of emotional. It’s troublesome to explain this in phrases.”
Dimitrov reached his first ATP remaining in Brisbane in 2013 – shedding to Andy Murray – and commenced essentially the most profitable 12 months of his profession by successful the title in 2017.
Accidents have affected his progress since then however, after ending 2023 with a run to the Paris Masters remaining, he’s now exhibiting indicators of a resurgence.
“My love affair began right here, 11 years in the past in Brisbane, and it continues,” Dimitrov mentioned.
“I am very grateful to elevate the trophy once more, it means quite a bit to me for thus many various causes.”
