RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka completed a perfect run through the group stage of the WTA Finals on Thursday, defeating Coco Gauff 7-6 (5), 6-2 and eliminating the American from the season-ending championship.
The victory confirms that both Sabalenka (3-0) and Jessica Pegula (2-1) advance to the semifinals from their group. Gauff finished with a 1-2 record. Earlier, Pegula had secured her spot with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jasmine Paolini, who went 0-3 in the tournament. Friday’s semifinals will feature Sabalenka against Amanda Anisimova in a US Open final rematch, while Pegula will face Elena Rybakina.
Gauff had numerous opportunities in a tense opening set, leading by a break twice and holding break points for a potential 5-2 advantage. She later served for the set at 5-4, but Sabalenka fought back, breaking serve with a forehand winner down the line.
“I was already working for the second set, to be honest,” Sabalenka admitted. “Something clicked and I was able to break, and that game gave me a lot of confidence that I still got it in this set.”
After Gauff took a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker, a series of costly errors, including a netted backhand and a double fault, allowed Sabalenka to seize the set. The world No. 1 carried that momentum forward, breaking Gauff in the opening game of the second set and maintaining control for the remainder of the match.
“I had a lot of chances in the first set,” Gauff said. “It was a bit disappointing not to get that one. She stepped her level up, and I just couldn’t find it after that.”
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