Iga Swiatek Eliminated from WTA Finals After Krejcikova Defeats Gauff

Posted : 08 November 2024

Iga Swiatek's bid to defend her WTA Finals title came to an end on Thursday when Barbora Krejcikova defeated Coco Gauff, eliminating the world number two from contention. Swiatek had needed Krejcikova to lose in order to advance from the group stage, but the Czech player’s 7-5, 6-4 win over Gauff sealed her spot in the semifinals at Swiatek's expense. The Pole, who had won one match and lost one heading into the final day of round-robin play, was left without a chance of progressing despite her dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory over alternate Daria Kasatkina.

For Swiatek to reach the semifinals, a Gauff victory over Krejcikova was necessary, but that outcome did not materialize. As a result, Krejcikova, who was making just her second singles appearance at the WTA Finals, secured her first semifinal berth. Krejcikova now heads to the last four as the winner of the Orange Group and will face Zheng Qinwen on Friday. Meanwhile, Gauff advances as the runner-up and will play world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

Krejcikova, who had a standout performance by saving 11 of 12 break points against Gauff, expressed her joy after the match. “It was a really big match, and I’m really happy with my performance,” she said. “I was just fighting for every ball and knew it was going to be difficult because Coco has been on a roll this season." The Czech player, who has had an inconsistent season with only 21 wins, earned her spot in the WTA Finals through a new rule that gives preference to Grand Slam champions over the eighth-ranked players in the WTA Race. Krejcikova secured the final spot in Riyadh as the Wimbledon champion, ahead of world number eight Emma Navarro.

Meanwhile, Kasatkina, who played as an alternate for the injured Jessica Pegula, questioned the fairness of the new rule. She believed that the top eight players in the WTA Race should have the automatic right to compete in the WTA Finals, regardless of their Grand Slam success. Swiatek, after her dominant win over Kasatkina, admitted she had no idea her chances of advancing depended solely on the Krejcikova-Gauff result. Reflecting on her performance, Swiatek said, "I did everything I could to be there." Despite the setback, she remains focused on her upcoming role for Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, set to begin on November 13 in Malaga.

Iga Swiatek Eliminated from WTA Finals After Krejcikova Defeats Gauff

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