Google News WATCH: Iga Swiatek takes down Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals
by LORENZO CIOTTI
In the Chetumal Group of the 2023 edition of the WTA Finals, the direct battle for the group leadership was won by Iga Swiatek, who defeated the young North American Coco Gauff. In Cancun, the world number 2 defeated the winner of the US Open with a result of 6-0, 7-5, giving her young rival a bagel in the first set.
Swiatek faces Gauff who certainly seemed disconnected in the first half hour of play. In the second set there is certainly more of a game. In fact, she is the American who takes the first break lead. At 1-1, Swiatek finds herself at 15-40 and forced to save two break points.
She manages to make up for it with a forehand slap on the first occasion, but on the second she is forced to give up serve. After saving two break points in the sixth game, which lasted almost as long as the first set, it seems that everything is directed towards Gauff, who made up for a very foul match on her part, especially with the serve.
At the end of the set, however, Swiatek seems unbeatable. She recovers the break, then loses the parity gained with another break. In the end, she needs three games in a row and a partial of nine points compared to the two won by the American.
Thus, the Roland Garros title holder obtains the leadership of the group: she only needs two games against Ons Jabeur to qualify for the semi-finals. Below the highlights shared by the WTA YouTube page:
Jabeur seeks qualification to the semi-finals
The other challenge decided who will fight with Coco Gauff for second place in the semifinals for this group: Ons Jabeur.
The Tunisian tennis player defeated Marketa Vondrousova with the result of 6-4, 6-3. In the rematch of the Wimbledon final, there is no real domination. Jabeur's 24 winners are the key to the victory, with the Czech tennis player stopped at 23 and also having difficulty with her serve.
Four aces, but 11 double faults and low percentages of points won with the first. In the Finals which was originally supposed to feature two Czech tennis players, in the end there won't be even one in the final stages.