Post by : Meena
Hassan
Aryna Sabalenka moved closer to a semi-final berth at the WTA Finals after recording her second straight victory in Group Steffi Graf. The former Grand Slam champion displayed aggressive baseline play to keep her campaign on track.
Sabalenka met Jessica Pegula, who remains in contention with a previous win in the group. After the match Sabalenka commented, “Pegula is a top competitor who tested me. I kept attacking and seized the right opportunities.”
In the opening set Sabalenka broke to lead 4-2. Pegula responded with a break to square the score at 5-4 and saved three set points, but Sabalenka reclaimed advantage with a decisive forehand break to take the set.
The second set swung Pegula’s way as she capitalised on 13 unforced errors from Sabalenka. Pegula notched two breaks to lead 5-2 and held serve under pressure to win the set, forcing a final decider.
In the third set Sabalenka initially struggled with double faults, conceding an early break to Pegula. She regrouped, produced accurate returns close to the lines and converted two successive breaks to move ahead 4-2 before closing out the match.
Coco Gauff Eliminates Paolini
Coco Gauff produced a composed performance to dispatch Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. After a match plagued by 17 double faults against Pegula, Gauff cut that number to three in this encounter.
Gauff raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set. Paolini held serve after a lengthy rally, but Gauff’s angled groundstrokes helped her secure the set 6-3.
In the second set Gauff’s movement and depth forced Paolini across the court repeatedly. Gauff earned consecutive breaks to move 5-2 up and finished the match with a strong serve. Paolini was eliminated following two straight defeats in the group.
Gauff reflected on the result, saying, “I knew a win here was crucial. A loss would have ended my tournament.”
English
