WTA Finals Riyadh: Coco Gauff emerges victorious over Jessica Pegula in a match marked by inconsistency

Coco Gauff opens her WTA Finals campaign successfully, taking the win in an All-American clash against Jessica Pegula. In a match marked by unforced errors from both players, the 20-year-old came out on top with a more aggressive game, securing a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Pegula, known as one of the players who rarely struggles with errors, started the match tentatively and couldn’t compensate for mistakes on the court, with Gauff generally dominating the longer points.

Uncharacteristically, Gauff was not able to assert much dominance with her serve. In the first set, she hit 55% of first serves, winning 65% of those points, while Pegula hit 59% of her first serves and won 62% of them.

Pressure points made the difference. Gauff took the break on her first opportunity in the 4th game, while Pegula managed to break back in the following game. It took just one more chance for Coco in the 6th game, which she converted to gain the definitive advantage. Despite the 16 unforced errors in the set (11 from Pegula), Gauff's aggressive baseline play, especially with her backhand, allowed her to hit 9 winners compared to just 2 from Pegula.

Gauff started the second set with a break, quickly advancing to 2-0 before errors crept in again. Without much showing, Pegula broke back and held a 2-2, 40-15 lead on her serve before committing four consecutive errors, giving the break back to her opponent.

Gauff did not waste the advantage and gave Pegula no further opportunities, as Pegula never seemed entirely comfortable against her compatriot. Gauff elevated her game in the latter part of the match, securing a second consecutive break and sealing the victory with her serve for a 6-3, 6-2 win.

This is a vital win for the 2023 US Open champion in her quest to advance to the second round, especially with the straight-sets scoreline, which puts her at the top of the group and in the best position to advance to the semifinals. She will face Krejcikova on Tuesday (who lost to Iga Swiatek in her opener), and a win would virtually secure Gauff’s place in the semifinals.