Coco Gauff Upsets Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai Semi-Final Epic 7-6, 3-6, 7-5

Coco Gauff produced one of the finest performances of her young career on Monday, saving three match points to defeat world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in a thrilling semi-final encounter at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The 19-year-old American showed remarkable composure in the face of adversity, trailing 5-3 in the deciding set and facing match points on Sabalenka's serve. Gauff's fearless returning and aggressive court positioning in the crucial moments turned the tide, as she won four of the final five games to secure a stunning upset victory.

"I honestly don't know how I pulled that off," Gauff said during her on-court interview. "Aryna was playing incredible tennis, and when I was down those match points, I just told myself to go for it and have no regrets. Sometimes you have to take big swings, and today they paid off."

The match was a showcase of contrasting styles, with Sabalenka's raw power meeting Gauff's court coverage and tactical intelligence. The Belarusian struck 45 winners to Gauff's 23, but also committed 52 unforced errors compared to the American's 28, highlighting the fine margins that decided this epic encounter.

Sabalenka appeared to be cruising toward victory when she served for the match at 5-3 in the third set, holding three match points at 40-15. However, Gauff's aggressive returns and net approaches put immense pressure on the world No. 2, who double-faulted on one match point and saw the other two erased by stunning passing shots.

The victory puts Gauff into her second WTA 1000 final and sets up a championship match against either Iga Swiatek or Qinwen Zheng. At just 19 years old, Gauff continues to announce herself as a future star of women's tennis, with performances like this demonstrating her ability to compete with and defeat the very best players in the world when it matters most.