American Coco Gauff has lived up to her billing as the ASB Classic's top seed, winning the Auckland tournament with a convincing display against Spain's Rebeka Masarova.
In a perfect warm-up for this month's Australian Open, the 18-year-old took out the tournament without dropping a set, defeating Masarova 6-1, 6-1.
Gauff is the first top seed to win since 2013, when Poland's Agniesszka Radwanska defeated Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer.
Gauff's win caps the ASB Classic's return after a three-year absence, with Auckland was treated to international tennis once again, despite the persistent rain, .
With rain delaying the start of play, Gauff took until the fourth game to stamp her mark on the first set, breaking Masarova's serve for a 3-1 lead.
Gauff broke again in the sixth game for a 5-1 lead and the chance to serve for the first set, but rain returned to delay proceedings by another 90 minutes.
After the resumption, it took Gauff until her fifth set point to take a 1-0 lead, but did just that to wrap up the first in 35 minutes.
The first set represented the first time across the entire tournament that Masarova dropped a set.
Gauff continued her surge towards the title by breaking Masarova's first service game in the second set and then again in the fifth game for a 4-1 lead.
Masarova had her chances to fight back, but squandered five breakpoints in one game, as Gauff put herself on the cusp of the title.
With Masarova needing to hold serve to win the tournament, saving one championship point with an ace, it was a matter of 'when' and not 'if' the top seed would secure the trophy.
Ultimately, Gauff's class showed, as the world No.7 made the most of her second championship point, as Masarova found the net to give her victory.
The title is Gauff's third singles crown in her short career and first since the Emilia-Romagna Open in May 2021.
