Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the WTA Finals. Daria Kasatkina will take her place to face Iga Swiatek in the Orange Group. 🧡
WTA Finals Day 6 Preview & Schedule: Coco Gauff looks to stay undefeated as Swiatek and Krejcikova battle for semifinal spots
WTAThursday, 07 November 2024 at 10:51
With the first two WTA Finals semifinalists already known, Thursday, November 7, will reveal the remaining two. They will emerge from the Orange Group, where Coco Gauff is already through but could do Iga Swiatek a favor by defeating Barbora Krejcikova. Meanwhile, the Polish player will face Daria Kasatkina following Jessica Pegula's withdrawal due to injury.
On Wednesday, the Purple Group concluded with Zheng Qinwen confirming her semifinal spot as the runner-up behind Aryna Sabalenka. The Orange Group results will be critical, as players will undoubtedly seek to avoid facing the in-form Sabalenka until a potential final.
Swiatek battle for survival against Kasatkina
Iga Swiatek will open the day, looking to secure her place in the semi-finals against Daria Kasatkina, following the withdrawal of Jessica Pegula. The world No. 2 lost her final match to Coco Gauff, ending her hopes of finishing the year as No. 1, with Sabalenka now confirmed as the year-end No. 1.
Swiatek had a tough debut against Barbora Krejcikova, who, despite being somewhat out of rhythm, led 6-4, 3-0 before Swiatek turned the match around, winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Just two days ago, Swiatek again struggled against Gauff, losing in straight sets (3-6, 4-6), with the American narrowing their head-to-head to 11-2.
One of Swiatek's main issues in her clash with Gauff was first-serve effectiveness, winning only 37% of points on her first serve and 45% on her second. She also had an unusually high number of unforced errors, with 47 across just 19 games, averaging 2.5 per game. The question is whether the 5-time Grand Slam champion will regain her confidence against Pegula, whom she defeated in last year’s final.
The No. 6 seed, considered a favorite by some (including Ons Jabeur, who predicted her to win), lost her matches against Gauff and Krejcikova and became the first player eliminated from the group. Pegula didn’t win more than three games in her four sets and has already lost her year-end ranking spot, falling to No. 7, with Zheng Qinwen taking her place after confirming her qualification on Wednesday. Shortly after it was announced that the already eliminated Pegula, withdrew of the tournament, so the alternate Daria Kasatkina enters to replace her.
Kasatkina has nothing to lose against Swiatek, with a 1-5 head-to-head record, though they haven't faced each other since 2022. The pressure will be on Swiatek, who has shown signs of mental vulnerability in Riyadh, which could give Kasatkina a chance if she can exploit Swiatek's nerves. A win for Kasatkina could eliminate the five-time Grand Slam champion, though it would also depend on the outcome of Gauff versus Krejcikova in the second match of the afternoon.
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Coco Gauff aims for clean sweep against Krejcikova
At the start of the tournament, it looked like a tough draw for Coco Gauff, placed with three players against whom she has negative head-to-head records: 1-11 against Swiatek, 1-4 against Pegula, and 0-1 against Krejcikova. In her first two matches, she earned important wins that have already secured her a semifinal spot.
Two days ago, against Swiatek, she capitalized on her opponent’s 47 unforced errors to claim a straight-sets win. However, the American No. 1 herself committed a total of 33 unforced errors and 11 double faults.
At 20 years and 237 days old, Gauff became the youngest American to reach back-to-back semifinals since Tracy Austin in 1979, with a spot in the next round secured. A win today would be significant, allowing her to avoid Aryna Sabalenka, the strong favorite for the title.
Her opponent will be Krejcikova, who won their only previous encounter in the quarterfinals of the 2021 French Open on her way to the title. The Czech defeated Pegula, showing the mental strength needed for crucial matches, even when she isn’t the favorite.
Against the American, Krejcikova displayed a strong serve, hitting 11 aces and winning 75% of points on her first serve. With a real chance to qualify for the WTA Finals semifinals for the first time and less pressure than Gauff, who is already through, the Czech player keeps her hopes alive. Should Swiatek win earlier in the day, Krejcikova would need to beat Gauff by a significant margin to advance on games.
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