Coco Gauff convincingly beaten by Jessica Pegula in all-American WTA Finals tie

CNN

Coco Gauff’s attempt to become the first teenager since 2004 to win the WTA Finals concluded with a defeat against fellow American and doubles partner Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.

Fifth seed Pegula needed just an hour to secure a convincing 6-2 6-1 victory over the 19-year-old US Open champion in Cancún, Mexico.

“I managed to get my act together at the end of the year,” Pegula told reporters. “I’ve done a good job of resetting coming here.”

“I found a way to make it work,” she added. “I’m feeling confident going into the finals.”

Pegula will face either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or second seed Iga Świątek in the final. The semifinal between them was interrupted by rain after three games on Saturday and will resume on Sunday, resulting in the final being moved to Monday.

Sabalenka or Świątek will face an unbeaten opponent in the final, as they have reached the final with a flawless 4-0 record, defeating higher-ranked opponents in three of those matches.

Pegula’s win over Gauff was her second in three encounters with her compatriot. The 29-year-old adapted better to the challenging conditions, which included rain breaks and a swirling wind throughout the second set. She broke Gauff six times and committed only 11 unforced errors, while Gauff made a total of 25 unforced errors.

According to the WTA, Gauff would have been the first teenager since Maria Sharapova in 2004 to win the tournament. Sharapova, at the age of 17, defeated Serena Williams in the final that year.

“This is probably the biggest final of my career,” Pegula said. “It will give me a lot of confidence going into next year.”

Gauff and Pegula will also compete together in the doubles event on Sunday, with a chance to advance to the semifinals. Their match against Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonarava was suspended on Friday, with the Americans leading 6-3 1-1.