Jessica Pegula (USA) smashed the 2023 US Open champion Cori Coco Gauff (USA) by 2-0 (6:2, 6:1) in 64 minutes to reach the title match of the WTA Finals in Cancun (Mexico) with a prize money of 9 million USD. In the final, she will face the winner between the world’s number one Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus), and the world’s number two Iga Swiatek (Poland).
In the first all-American semifinal at the WTA Finals since the reintroduction of the group format in 2003, Jessica Pegula converted 6 of her 10 break opportunities and lost serve just once during the match. Jessica Pegula broke early in the match and took her good friend Coco Gauff’s serve twice more to take a 5:2 lead on her way to the first set.
In the second set, she started with a break again and made it 2:0 before rain stopped the match for 14 minutes. During the break, the wind blew away the umbrella that Coco Gauff was holding over her head. After the match was resumed, Jessica Pegula kept the control, adding another break to take a 4:1 lead before rain interrupted the match again, this time for 13 minutes.
Cori Coco Gauff tried to make the necessary adjustments to his performance, but Jessica Pegula was steady on the baseline and sealed victory with her second match point to reach the biggest final of his career.
In the other semi-final, Iga Swiatek faced top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka. The Polish player led by 2:1 in the first set after 19 minutes before the match, which will decide the top position in the year-end world WTA rankings, was interrupted by rain and will be replayed today.
