Aryna Sabalenka Defeats Coco Gauff to Reach WTA Finals Semifinal
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka secured a straight-sets victory over defending champion Coco Gauff, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, in their Stefanie Graf Group round robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Match Summary
Sabalenka, having already won her first two matches, needed to win at least one set to guarantee the top spot in her group. Gauff, on the other hand, had to win the match to advance to the semifinals.
First Set Highlights
- Gauff quickly broke serve in the opening game and took a 2-0 lead after holding serve.
- Sabalenka responded with a break in the fourth game, leveling the score at 2-2.
- Gauff broke again in the fifth game to regain a 3-2 advantage.
- Despite leading 5-4 and 30-0 in the tenth game, Gauff lost four straight points, allowing Sabalenka to break back and even the set at 5-5.
- In the tiebreak, Gauff led 3-1 early, but Sabalenka came back and won seven points to five, sealing the set.
Second Set Dominance
- Sabalenka surged ahead with two consecutive breaks, building a 4-0 lead.
- Gauff broke once to make it 4-2, but Sabalenka secured a third break and served out the match on her first match point, winning 6-2.
Next Challenge
With this win, Sabalenka advanced to the semifinals where she will face Amanda Anisimova.
"Sabalenka set up a semifinal clash against Amanda Anisimova."
Author’s summary: Aryna Sabalenka’s strong performance against Coco Gauff guaranteed her the top spot in the group and a semifinal showdown with Amanda Anisimova.