Gauff sweeps Paolini aside to boost title defense

Coco Gauff of the US hits a return against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini during their tennis match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Tuesday. (AFP)
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Updated 04 November 2025
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Gauff sweeps Paolini aside to boost title defense

  • The American third seed had lost her opener two days prior to Jessica Pegula but was far more clinical against Paolini

RIYADH: Coco Gauff claimed a much-needed 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini to keep her WTA Finals title defense alive in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The American third seed had lost her opener two days prior to Jessica Pegula but was far more clinical against Paolini, whose second singles defeat of the week means she has no chance of advancing to the semifinals.

“I’m really happy with how I played today, definitely a turnaround from my first match,” said Gauff, who posted her 10th top-10 win of the season.

Against Pegula on Sunday, Gauff struggled with her serve, committing 17 double faults and winning just 28 percent of the points behind her second delivery.

Her performance in the first set of her second match was already a significant improvement, as she won nine of 11 points on her second serve, misfiring just twice for two double faults.

The 21-year-old leapt to a 3-0 lead and despite Paolini’s attempted comeback, was able to reclaim her advantage to take the opening set in 40 minutes.

The second set was a straightforward affair as Gauff notched two breaks of serve en route to her second win in five meetings with the Italian this season.

“I was just trying to play relaxed. I’ve played a WTA Finals where I lost all three of my matches (in 2022). So I tried to avoid that today,” said the two-time Grand Slam champion.

“I thought I served smart. I don’t think Jasmine was 100 percent today and I would like to wish her well. Playing singles and doubles here is not easy.”

In other Stefanie Graf Group action, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was to take on fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula later in the day. A straight-sets victory for the top seed would guarantee her a place in Friday’s semifinals.


Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Updated 16 February 2026
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Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added ‌another crown to his collection on Sunday by becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after ​a comeback win over Fabiano Caruana in Germany.
The chess master secured the title with a cautious draw in the fourth and final game, clinching a 2.5–1.5 match victory against his 33-year-old American opponent in Weissenhaus.
Sunday’s turning point came in the thrilling third game, in ‌which Carlsen, ‌35, pulled off a stunning ​win ‌from ⁠a ​seemingly lost ⁠position, swinging the entire contest in his favor.
The world number one only needed a draw in the decisive fourth game, and that’s exactly what he got in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late opportunities to mount a ⁠comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world ‌titles in various formats.

 

The ‌World Championship marked a breakthrough ​collaboration between FIDE and ‌private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first ‌officially recognized title in this format.
Carlsen had previously failed to capture the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly sweet for the chess great.
In ‌the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, securing ⁠his spot ⁠by drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
The tournament’s lower placings saw Hans Niemann of the United States take fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov for seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s ​Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over ​Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final encounter ended in a draw.