Coco Gough finished the dream run of local heroine Lloyds Boisson at the French Open as the Americans cooled her down in a fiery atmosphere to win a 6-1, 6-2 victory on Thursday.
The victory by seeded and ranked 2nd, Goff sets out a blockbuster championship match against No. 1 Alina Sabalenka on Saturday.
Sabalenka is a three-time major champion and took the shot in fourth place by finishing Iga Swiatek’s 26-match French Open victory streak. Sabalenka’s 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0 semi-final victory prevented Swiatek from becoming the first woman to win four consecutive championships in Paris during the Open era (since 1968).
This marks the second No. 2 women’s final at the French Open in the last 30 years, and is number one in the Grand Slam since the second Caroline Wozniacki defeated No. 1 Simona Halep at the 2018 Australian Open.
It was also a rematch at the 2023 US Open Finals, where Gauff beat Sabalenka to win her first major trophy at the age of 19.
Gough was runner-up at Roland Garros’ Sweet in 2022.
361st in the world as a wild card, at the French Open, Boisson beat the world’s third Jessica Pegra and the sixth Mira Andreva in the previous round, but she seemed calm against Gouf. However, the 22-year-old will pocket a carrier that changes 690,000 euros ($789,567) in his prize money.
“Today, that’s too tough for me,” Boisson said. “I couldn’t make my game a success, but the whole tournament was very positive as all of the games today weren’t positive.”
Playing a local favorite with Roland Garros in front of an infamous, intense crowd can challenge even the most seasoned players, but Gauff is ready.
“This is the first time I’ve played a French player here. I was mentally prepared to be 99% for her, so I was trying to block it,” Gauff said.
Talking to the crowd, she added:
As good as Boishon’s games are suitable for clay, Gauff is also proficient in slow surfaces. Her speed and reflections allow her to track shots after shots, stretch points, and make products appear on players on the net over and over again. On Thursday, Gauff’s forehand was once again solid, her backhand was sometimes seductive and she served consistently.
Boisson finished with just seven winners. Gouf was less than half of Boishon’s 33 and had only 15 forced errors.
The longer the exchange grew, the better the Gouf. She scored 34 of her 51 points, lasting more than five strokes.
Gauff took a 4-0 lead under the roof of Philippe-Chatrier and never looked back at Boisson’s love 3-2 in two sets shortly after defeating her serve for the first time.
The Americans were on an eight-point streak, and with a 5-2 ending change, Boisson placed a towel on her head and struck herself with frustration.
“It’s always a strong plan,” Goff said. “I knew it was important today. She’s an incredible player. She’s proven to be one of the best players in the world, especially with Clay.
The first French woman to reach the last four at Roland Garros since Marion Bartoli in 2011, Boisson bowed when she sent yet another forehand.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to the report.