WTA Finals: Coco Gauff downs Iga Swiatek

Coco Gauff beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-4 at the WTA Finals to reach the semifinals and ensure Aryna Sabalenka would finish the year as world No. 1. It was Gauff’s second win over Swiatek in 13 meetings. Gauff, 20, is unbeaten in the orange round-robin group having defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula in the previous round.

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Swiatek can only qualify for the semifinals if she beats Pegula and Gauff also defeats Barbora Krejcikova.

“It feels great. I knew going into it despite our head to head I had a lot of confidence. I felt like I was playing great tennis,” Gauff said.

Wimbledon champion Krejcikova’s 6-3 6-3 win against Pegula earlier ended the sixth-seeded American’s chances of qualifying for the semifinals.