Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula advance to last four at WTA Finals
Sabalenka will take on Amanda Anisimova in the WTA semifinals on Friday in a rematch of the 2025 US Open final, while Pegula will face Elena Rybakina.
New Delhi: The world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, eliminated Coco Gauff from the WTA Finals after defeating her 7-6 (5), 6-2. This was her third consecutive group-stage victory in the tournament.
Sabalenka's win means Jessica Pegula also qualified for the semifinals from the group, along with the No.1-ranked Belarusian. Earlier, Pegula beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-3, and took her record to 2-1.
Gauff, the defending champion of the tournament, finished 1-2 while Paolini went 0-3 at the season-ending tournament for the world's top eight players.
Gauff's erratic serve had been a concern after her opening defeat against Pegula, but it was the 21-year-old's strong return game that stood out against Sabalenka. She broke Sabalenka’s serve at the start of the match and went up 4-2 at the King Saud University Sports Arena.
Sabalenka let out a scream after saving break points and holding serve for 3-4. In the rematch of the French Open title clash that she lost, the fired-up Belarusian soon broke to draw level at 5-5 with a neat forehand winner.
The Belarusian showed more fight in the tiebreak, making a comeback from behind and taking the first set. There was no stopping for the 27-year-old when she eased to a 4-0 lead in the second set, and looked in complete control after that.
'I was just trying to stay aggressive'
After the game, Sabalenka said that she was just trying to stay aggressive in the match and was trying to find her rhythm. The Belarusian further added that she's super happy with the performance and super happy to get this win in straight sets.
She also praised Amanda Anisimova and said that she enjoys playing against her. "She always makes me work hard, always great battles against her. I enjoy playing against her and I enjoy the fights so I'm excited to play her. I hope it's going to be a great match," Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka will face Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals on Friday in a rematch of the 2025 US Open final, while Pegula will take on Elena Rybakina in the knockout match.