Swiatek, Gauff win to advance to semifinals of the WTA Finals

CANCUN, Mexico — No.2 Iga Swiatek and No.3 Coco Gauff have advanced to the semifinals of the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun on a windy Friday evening.

Gauff emerged victorious in a thrilling match against Marketa Vondrousova, winning 5-7, 6-7(4), 6-3 in the final round of group play at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals.

This defeat ended Vondrousova’s hopes of reaching the semifinals, while Gauff became the first teenager since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009 to make it to the final four of the year-end championships.

Meanwhile, Swiatek secured her position as the group winner by defeating No.6 seed Ons Jabeur 6-1, 6-2, completing a perfect 3-0 record in the Chetumal Group.

On Saturday, Swiatek will face No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in a match that could determine the year-end No.1 ranking. If Sabalenka wins, she will finish the year at the top. If Swiatek wins, she can reclaim the top spot by winning the title. This match is a rematch of last year’s semifinal in Fort Worth, which Sabalenka won 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. They have already faced each other twice this season on clay, with Swiatek winning in Stuttgart and Sabalenka triumphing in Madrid.

“We’ll see what the conditions are like,” said Swiatek about the upcoming match. “Playing against Aryna is always challenging. I’ll give my best and focus on my game. Our matches are usually thrilling and demanding, both mentally and physically.”

The other semifinal will feature Gauff against No.5 Jessica Pegula. This will be the first all-American semifinal at the WTA Finals since the round-robin format was reintroduced in 2003. Both players are making their debut in the semifinals of the year-end tournament. Last year in Fort Worth, they failed to secure any wins in both singles and doubles. They have already met twice this year, with Gauff winning on grass in Eastbourne and Pegula getting revenge during her title run in Montreal.

The schedule for Saturday’s semifinals, which includes one remaining round-robin doubles match that will determine the fourth semifinalists, is as follows:

2:30 p.m.
[7] Gabriela Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe vs. [8] Nicole Melichar-Martinez & Ellen Perez

NB 5:00 p.m.
[5] Jessica Pegula vs. [3] Coco Gauff

NB 6:00 p.m.
[1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [2] Iga Swiatek

[1] Coco Gauff & Jessica Pegula vs. [6] Laura Siegemund & Vera Zvonareva (to finish, 6-3, 1-1)

After suitable rest
TBC vs. [2] Storm Hunter & EliseMertens

In a match marred by intermittent rain delays, Gauff extended her perfect record against Vondrousova to 3-0. Despite Vondrousova taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the first set, Gauff fought back to take it 7-5.

Gauff seemed destined for a quick victory after dominating the first five games of the second set to lead 4-1. However, she failed to serve out the set at 5-3, and found herself four points away from defeat. With Vondrousova serving for the win at 6-5, Gauff unleashed aggressive tennis to overpower her opponent and force a third set.

“I felt the need to hit through the court,” Gauff explained. “Vondrousova is a tricky player. If you let her dictate the pace and move you around, it becomes tough. I know that from previous encounters with her.”

“Playing in the windy conditions made it challenging to be as aggressive as I wanted to be, but I made the necessary adjustments and didn’t get frustrated when I missed. It’s all part of the game,” she added.

In the final set, Gauff continued her aggressive game plan, using opportunistic approaches to the net and powerful baseline shots. After breaking Vondrousova’s serve for a 3-2 lead, Gauff held off her opponent to secure a 2-1 record in the Chetumal group.

The victory marked Gauff’s 51st win of the season. She is the first American teenager to achieve 50 or more wins in a single season since Venus Williams in 1999. Gauff has won 24 of her last 27 matches, with her only three losses coming against fellow semifinalists Swiatek (2) and Pegula.