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August 6th, 2019

Florida Tennis Products Pegula, Gauff Win Biggest Trophies at WTA Citi Open

General News Pro Tennis

Young Florida players took center stage over the weekend at the WTA Citi Open in Washington, D.C., where 25-year-old Jessica Pegula of Boca Raton won the singles title, and 15-year-old phenom Coco Gauff of Delray Beach captured the doubles.

Pegula, whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, in the all-unseeded singles final defeated Italian veteran Camila Giorgi of Italy 6-2, 6-2.

“This final, I felt like I was just ready,” said Pegula, who is now working with David Witt, Venus Williams’ former coach. “I was like, ‘You know what? You’re going to go out there and you’re going to win.'”

Injuries to her knee, hip and ankle have slowed her over the last two years, and she entered Washington without reaching a quarterfinals at the tour of lower levels this year, accumulating a 4-8 2019 win-loss record.

It was her first career title after last year reaching her first career final at the WTA stop in Quebec City. The championship effort lifted her to a career-high No. 55 on the WTA rankings.

Gauff, coming off her run at Wimbledon, had fans flocking to the doubles courts in Washington to see American tennis’ new fresh face.

She teamed with fellow American and 17-year-old Caty McNally to lift the Citi Open doubles title, in the final defeating Maria Sanchez and Fanny Stollar 6-2, 6-2, the first career WTA title for each.

“I think for both of us, it means a lot,” Gauff said afterwards. “Obviously we want to do well in singles, but I think we just love competing in general, so whether it’s singles or doubles, we want to win no matter what. So I think that we really get as nervous as we do in doubles as we do in singles because we just want to make the other one proud.”

Gauff had lost in the first round in singles, and McNally had to overcome a hip injury and return to the court after a run to the singles semifinals. The two had only teamed once before, winning the US Open juniors title last year, and plan to play at the US Open together, this time in the main draw.

Posted by USTA Florida

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