The WTA Finals semifinals are set in stone after drama ensued within the ultimate round-robin matches on Thursday.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek demolished Daria Kasatkina, the withdrawing Jessica Pegula’s replacement, 6-1, 6-0, in underneath 52 minutes, however nonetheless could not safe a spot within the ultimate 4. Swiatek wanted Coco Gauff to defeat Barbora Krejcikova within the different ultimate group-stage match, however the American fell to the Czech, 7-5, 6-4, leading to Swiatek’s ouster.
Regardless of her loss, Gauff had already secured a place within the semifinals following her convincing wins over Pegula and Swiatek within the first two round-robin matches.
Whereas Swiatek and Krejcikova had been tied with two wins apiece, the latter gained her matches extra convincingly. As such, the Pole was eradicated attributable to a technicality. In her post-match press convention, she was shocked to learn that her victory over Kasatkina was inconsequential.
Gauff versus Sabalenka must be a deal with
The primary semifinal will pit Krejcikova, the reigning Wimbledon winner, in opposition to China’s World No. 7 Zheng Qinwen. The latter is recent off her victory on the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and a finals end in Wuhan, to not point out a gold-medal win on the Paris Olympics. Many analysts really feel that Qinwen is poised to have a breakout season in 2025 and is a respectable risk to win the WTA Finals this weekend.
The opposite semifinal will function World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in opposition to No. 3 Gauff in a high-profile contest. Whereas Sabalenka enters the match as the favourite, the 2 girls are tied 4-4 in profession head-to-head matches, with their most up-to-date contest happening in final month’s Wuhan Open. Gauff hasn’t defeated Sabalenka in 2024 however owns important wins over the Belarusian, together with the 2023 US Open ultimate and the fourth spherical of the 2022 Toronto Open.
Because the exhausting court docket at Riyadh favors their power-packed type, Sabalenka and Gauff have motive to really feel assured going into the competition.
