WUHAN:

Coco Gauff said her "stubborn" decision to defy her coach and play in China after a tough US Open had paid off after she beat Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday to clinch the third WTA 1000 title of her career in Wuhan.

The 21-year-old secured the Wuhan Open without dropping a set after a 1hr 42min battle in the central Chinese city and became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals.

"It was a great Asian swing," said Gauff, who reached the semi-finals in Beijing last week, before winning the Wuhan Open.

"I'm going to call JC out," she said referring to her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel.

"He originally didn't want me to come because I had a tough US Open, but I had to prove him wrong.

"I'm a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose f

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