Coco Gauff succumbs to Jessica Pegula in compelling all-American clash at WTA Finals
Coco Gauff's hopes of reaching the WTA Finals championship match were dashed as she suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of fellow American and doubles partner Jessica Pegula in the semifinals
Coco Gauff's quest to become the first teenager since 2004 to triumph at the WTA Finals came to a disappointing end as she suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of her compatriot and doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, in the semifinals.
Pegula, seeded fifth, swiftly wrapped up a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over the 19-year-old US Open champion in Cancún, Mexico, taking just one hour to do so.
Pegula informed reporters that she successfully pulled herself together by the end of the year. She expressed her satisfaction with the process of resetting upon arriving here.
She further mentioned that she discovered a method to make things work and now feels assured as she enters the finals.
Pegula is set to face either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or second seed Iga ÅwiÄ tek in the final. The semifinal between these two players was interrupted after three games on Saturday due to rain and will be concluded on Sunday. As a result, the final has been rescheduled to take place on Monday.
Spectators sit in the rain during the semifinal between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
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Sabalenka or Świątek will face an undefeated player in the Cancún final, having reached this stage with a flawless record of 4-0. Notably, three of those victories were against opponents of higher rank.
This win against Gauff marked her second triumph out of three encounters with her fellow countrywoman. Despite challenging weather conditions - intermittent rain breaks in the second set and a persistent swirling wind - the 29-year-old outperformed her opponent. She broke Gauff's serve six times and committed only 11 unforced errors, while Gauff accumulated a total of 25 unforced errors.
Gauff would have been the first teenager since Maria Sharapova in 2004 to win the tournament, according to the WTA. In 2004, when she was just 17 years old, Sharapova defeated Serena Williams in the final. Pegula expressed that this victory is her most significant final to date, asserting that it will provide her with a newfound sense of confidence moving forward into the next year.
Gauff and Pegula are scheduled to resume their doubles match on Sunday, as they strive to secure a spot in the semifinals. The American duo was leading Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonarava with a score of 6-3 1-1 when their round-robin match was temporarily halted on Friday.
