Defending champion Iga Swiatek has been knocked out of the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia after group rival Barbora Krejcikova beat Coco Gauff to secure her place in the semi-finals.
Polish second seed Swiatek thrashed Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-0 in her final group match – but was still relying on Gauff doing her a favour in Jeddah.
However, Wimbledon champion Krejcikova won 7-5 6-4 – having saved four break points in the game where she eventually served out the match – to move into the knockout stage at Swiatek’s expense.
The victory meant Krejcikova topped the Orange Group, setting up a meeting with Chinese seventh seed Zheng Qinwen.
Gauff, who had already qualified, will play Belarusian world number one Aryna Sabalenka when the semi-finals take place on Friday.
Work for Swiatek to do
Eighth seed Krejcikova’s victory was bad news for Swiatek, who has been eliminated at the group stage of the WTA Finals for the first time since 2021.
Swiatek has been the dominant player on the Tour for the majority of the past two years and started this season strongly by winning the Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome and French Open titles.
However, her lofty levels have dipped in the second half of the season and allowed Sabalenka to overtake her at the top of the rankings.
In her search for answers, Swiatek decided to change coaches and replaced Tomasz Wiktorowski with Wim Fissette in the lead-up to the WTA Finals.
Improving the four-time French Open champion’s service game, and adapting her skills in a bid for more success on the quicker surfaces, are the priorities.
On a fast court at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, Swiatek struggled against Gauff on Tuesday – a straight-set defeat which ultimately proved costly.
But there were positive signs against Kasatkina. Swiatek played with more pace and intensity to sweep past the Russian, who looked undercooked after her late call-up.
“I was hitting the ball really well and picking the right shots to play faster,” said Swiatek.
Why reaching semi-finals is ‘unimaginable’ for Krejcikova
Despite her status as the Wimbledon champion, Krejcikova arrived at the end-of-season tournament – where the leading eight WTA players of the year compete for the singles title – as the rank outsider.
She finished 12th in the seasonal race but qualified on the basis of winning one of the sport’s four major titles.
On the eve of the tournament, there were doubts about her fitness after she pulled out of Ningbo Open quarter-finals with a back injury.
However, she has found her best form at the right time to reach the last four on her WTA Finals debut.
After letting a lead slip in a three-set defeat by Swiatek, Krejcikova has recovered with back-to-back wins against Jessica Pegula and Gauff.
“The Wimbledon victory is the highest point of my career and being here and reaching the semi-finals is something unimaginable,” said Krejcikova, who saved 11 of 12 break points against Gauff.
“I was fighting for every ball. I knew it would be difficult because Coco is on a roll and one of the best players this season.
“The big prize – the semi-final – was on the table and I just tried to enjoy myself.”
