Coco Gauff prevails over Marketa Vondrousova in the Chetumal Group by 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 keeping the semifinal hope alive
Vondrousova had a disappointing performance in the WTA Finals, losing her matches to Iga Swiatek (7-6, 6-0) and Ons Jabeur (6-4, 6-3). Although she was already eliminated, this match offered her a chance to earn some points to close out the year.
On the other hand, the American, Coco Gauff, aimed to secure her spot in the semifinals before Swiatek's match. Gauff needed a victory to advance from the round-robin stage and then had to rely on Iga Swiatek defeating Ons Jabeur in the final match of the night.
As in previous days, the Cancun evening saw intermittent rain that caused multiple interruptions in the match. Moreover, strong winds posed challenges for the players, affecting their serves and rallies, resulting in errors due to the ball being moved by the wind.
The first set started well for Vondrousova, who took 12 of the first 13 points, gaining a 3-0 lead with two breaks. Gauff stepped up her game, winning three consecutive games and breaking back to level the score at 3-3. However, with rain and wind difficulties and the score at 5-5, the crucial break came in favor of the Czech player, who then secured the set 7-5 with her service.
In the second set, both players hit better and adjusted to the court conditions. Gauff showed aggressiveness, totaling 13 winners and 14 unforced errors compared to Vondrousova's 8 winners and 8 unforced errors.
Again, with exchanged breaks, Vondrousova recovered from being down 5-2 and led 6-5 with her service to finish the match. However, Gauff made a comeback when it mattered most, breaking Vondrousova and playing a great tie-break to extend the match to the third set.
In the third set, the first break occurred in the fifth game in favor of the 19-year-old American. Following the break, Vondrousova appeared noticeably discouraged and her performance dropped in the latter part of the match, which Gauff won 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Gauff's victory doesn't guarantee her spot in the semifinals. She must await the outcome of the match between Ons Jabeur and Iga Swiatek to determine the group's final standings.
Coco Gauff d. Marketa Vondrousova 5-7 7-6 6-3 Coco was 3 points away from losing this match, but she’s still alive at the WTA Finals. Her fighting qualities have grown so much over the last few months. ✅Won 18 of last 20 matches She’s showing it all this week. 🇺🇸❤️
