Jessica Pegula has withdrawn from the WTA Finals.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
WTAWednesday, 06 November 2024 at 22:00
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.
Read also
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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mandoist03-11-2024 - Players need to STOP TRYING TO JUSTIFY THEIR INCLUSION! They are not ambassadors for women in Saudi Arabia, they are not politicians, and they will never make a difference for females in that 'culture'. This little tennis "tournament" changes nothing. Players were lured by the money, opted to participate, and should just keep their predictable excuses and Women's Freedom Fairy Tales to themselves. Period. Like most things in Life -- one cannot make an argument against the Saudi Regime and, at the same time, triple your bank account with their "gifts".mandoist03-11-2024
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