Coco Gauff's Semifinal Spot Secured in the WTA Finals Despite 17 Double Faults
Coco Gauff secures spot in WTA Finals semifinals after battling past Markéta Vondroušová, despite a challenging 17 double faults
Coco Gauff secured a spot in the semifinals of the WTA Finals after a tough battle against Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová on Friday. Despite committing 17 double faults throughout the match, the 19-year-old managed to mount a remarkable comeback and defeat Vondroušová 5-7, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3. Gauff is now the first teenager to reach the last four of the tournament since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009. In the next round, she will face her doubles partner Jessica Pegula in an all-American showdown.
In the early exchanges, the Czech player had the upper hand and put herself in a winning position, serving for the victory in the second set. However, Gauff stayed composed and forced the set into a tiebreak.
According to We, Gauff explained her approach, stating, "I felt the need to hit powerfully across the court. She is a highly deceptive player. It becomes challenging when you allow her to dictate the pace and move you from side to side. This was my third encounter with her, so I was well aware of what to expect."
The windy and rainy conditions in Cancún, Mexico caused numerous play delays and had an impact on Gauff's strategy, according to her after the match.
"It's difficult to be as aggressive as you'd like in the wind, there are strange bounces and the ball is constantly moving," she explained. "But I'm grateful that I adapted and didn't let myself get too frustrated with my misses. You have to endure the consequences in order to potentially reap the rewards."
According to the WTA, the recent victory secured the title of the first American teenage player to achieve over 50 wins in one season since Venus Williams in 1999. In the meantime, Aryna Sabalenka progressed to the tournament's semifinals on Friday, triumphing over Elena Rybakina with a 6-2 3-6 6-3 win in a match that was interrupted due to a rain delay.
If the Belarusian defeats Iga ÅwiÄ tek in the semifinals, she will guarantee the year-end world No. 1 ranking.
ÅwiÄ tek earned her place in the semifinals by defeating Ons Jabeur 6-1 6-2, while Pegula emerged victorious in all three of her round-robin group stage matches, paving the way for a highly anticipated clash against Gauff.
