Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Nov 5
Barbora Krejcikova, the last player to qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, kept her semifinal dreams alive by decisively defeating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-3, in 69 minutes game.
The Czech star, ranked No. 13, entered the tournament facing fierce competition. Her opening match pitted her against Swiatek, who is still vying with Aryna Sabalenka for the No.1 ranking. Although Krejcikova found herself in a promising position with a set and two service breaks against the Polish player, Swiatek staged a comeback, ultimately taking the match in three sets and delivering a blow to Krejcikova's campaign.
On Tuesday, Krejcikova delivered a powerful performance, registering her highest ace count of the season with 11 aces. The victory was also significant for Pegula, who was eliminated from the tournament as a result of her second consecutive loss.
This marked the first time since March that Pegula has dropped consecutive matches in WTA tournaments, a streak that began following a semifinal exit in San Diego and a first-round defeat at Indian Wells.
Krejcikova's win over Pegula came with key moments that set the tone of the match. With the first set tied at 3-all, Krejcikova secured a crucial break, allowing her to close out the set with a confident lead. The momentum continued in the second set as Krejcikova broke Pegula's serve three consecutive times.
Although Krejcikova suffered her only break while leading 2-0 in the second, she quickly regained her composure, breaking Pegula once more to secure the win. Pegula, struggling to keep up, managed only four winners, underscoring Krejcikova's dominance throughout the match.
With this victory, Krejcikova became the lowest-ranked player in 22 years to win a match at the WTA Finals, following in the footsteps of Magda Maleeva in 2001. She also remains on track to potentially reach the semifinals with fewer than 30 match-wins in a season -- a feat unmatched since the turn of the century.
Currently holding a 17-14 record in 31 matches this year, Krejcikova is proving that persistence and mental fortitude can yield big results in high-stakes tournaments.
The outcome of the Orange Group remains contingent on the result of the later match between Swiatek and Coco Gauff. If Swiatek prevails, she secures the top spot in the group, while Gauff and Krejcikova would then face off in two days to determine the second semifinalist.
A straight-sets win for Gauff, however, would automatically secure her place in the final four, with the second Orange Group semifinal spot to be determined on Thursday.