November 06, (THEWILL) – Coco Gauff advanced to the WTA Finals semifinals in Riyadh following a decisive victory against Iga Swiatek. The American tennis star prevailed 6-3 6-4 in their round-robin encounter on Tuesday, marking only her second triumph over Swiatek in thirteen meetings.
The result ended Swiatek’s pursuit of the year-end world number one ranking, which remains within reach for Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff demonstrated remarkable composure despite serving 11 double faults during the match, which lasted one hour and 48 minutes.
Earlier in the day, Barbora Krejcikova eliminated Jessica Pegula from semi-final contention with a straightforward 6-3 6-3 win. Krejcikova, who entered the tournament as the eighth seed, delivered an impressive performance featuring 11 aces and converted four break points against her American opponent.
The Czech player’s participation in the WTA Finals stems from a revised qualification rule that prioritised Grand Slam champions ranked between 9 and 20. Krejcikova, currently world number 13, earned her place through her Wimbledon victory earlier this season.
Both Krejcikova and Swiatek must wait until Thursday’s matches to determine their qualification status. Meanwhile, Pegula, who reached the finals in 2023, exits the competition without winning a set in her two matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
