Her first-ever Hologic WTA Tour 1000 title!!! 🇨🇿 @BKrejcikova claims the @DDFTennis crown with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat over [1] Swiatek 👏 #DDFTennis
WTA Finals Day 2 Preview & Schedule: Swiatek v Krejcikova and Pegula v Gauff to open Orange Group
WTASunday, 03 November 2024 at 01:30
The Orange Group debuts in the WTA Finals with a pivotal day to set each player’s tournament ambitions. Day two sees Iga Swiatek return to the court after more than two months and in need of top form if she hopes to defend her 2023 crown.
Initially, Swiatek has the more accessible match against Barbora Krejcikova, who has struggled with a 2-4 record since her Wimbledon title but has proven challenging for the Polish player, having beaten her in two finals. Meanwhile, the all-American battle between Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula is open and crucial for both, given Swiatek’s strong position in the group.
Swiatek begins title defense against Krejcikova
Iga Swiatek begins her title defense mission two months after her last competition at the US Open. Recently, she received a penalty for not meeting mandatory tournament requirements, causing her to drop to world No. 2. Mathematically, she still has a chance to end the season at the top but would need an undefeated championship run and losses from Sabalenka in her next two matches (Sabalenka won her debut against Zheng).
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Swiatek was nearly unbeatable in the season's first half, finishing the Race with a 54-7 record and five titles, including Roland Garros and four WTA 1000 events. However, skipping the Asian swing proved costly, as Sabalenka's strong season finish closed a nearly 4,000-point gap.
On the other hand, Krejcikova’s credentials include her Wimbledon title this season, her second Grand Slam. However, her overall 2024 season has been inconsistent, with a mere 16-13 record. Outside her SW19 success, she has only nine wins. In fact, Krejcikova only qualified for the WTA Finals thanks to her All England Club victory, finishing 12th in the Race with 2,814 points, 2,000 from Wimbledon alone.
Krejcikova has been a notable challenge for Swiatek, holding a 2-2 head-to-head record and defeating Swiatek in their last two encounters, in the Ostrava Open 2022 final and the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships 2023 final, both times when Swiatek was world No. 1.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, seems the favorite but can’t dismiss Krejcikova’s potential; when on form, she’s one of the Tour’s most formidable players against Swiatek.
Pegula and Gauff face off in All-American clash
An intriguing debut clash between America’s top two players in women’s tennis over the past three years. They have met five times before (4-1 in favor of Pegula), including the WTA Finals semifinals last season, where Pegula dominated her doubles partner 6-2, 6-1.
Despite an early-season injury, Pegula had a strong hardcourt swing after Wimbledon, winning the Canadian Open, finishing runner-up in Cincinnati, and reaching the US Open final, securing a qualification that seemed unlikely months ago.
Coco Gauff, on the other hand, saw her ranking drop after failing to defend points during the hardcourt swing, which led to her parting ways with coach Brad Gilbert. The 20-year-old raised her level in Asia, winning her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open and reaching the semifinals in the Wuhan Open (losing to Sabalenka).
Gauff will need to improve her serve to remain competitive. Her last match against Sabalenka featured 21 double faults, which could be costly against any WTA Finals opponent. Gauff has also struggled with consistency on her forehand, and Pegula’s steadiness from the baseline will demand full concentration and minimized unforced errors from the young star if she wants to beat her compatriot.
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