Gauff outlasts Pegula to win group opener at WTA Finals

LOS ANGELES: Coco Gauff outlasted fellow American Jessica Pegula to win a tension-packed group stage opener 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 on Sunday in the WTA Finals at Indian Wells.

Two-time major winner Gauff fell behind 5-1 in the second set but saved three set points in the 10th game and captured five games in a row to seize a 6-5 edge.

Pegula denied a Gauff match point and held in the 12th game to force a tie-breaker, then jumped to a 5-2 lead and forced a third set with a forehand return winner.

Gauff seized a 3-0 lead in the third set and dominated from there, holding in the final game to take the match after two hours and 39 minutes when Pegula swatted a backhand beyond the baseline.

"I was having a lot of fun," Gauff said. "I took a little break. First match in like a month. To play a tournament like this with no preparation is something I've never done in my career.

"I'm just really happy to get through today. It was a tough match. It was 2 1/2 hours and I feel like every point was – I don't know if you guys were holding my breath but me too, so just happy to be through.

"I'm really proud of myself for this one."

Gauff, the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open champion, and Pegula had split 10 prior career matches, Gauff winning the Cincinnati final and a Wimbledon quarter-final this year in their most recent prior meetings.

In the other Group One opener, reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-4.

Noskova, a 21-year-old Czech, needed only 86 minutes to defeat Ukraine's Kostyuk.

World number one and reigning champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from the WTA Finals on Saturday due to a viral illness with Kostyuk replacing her at the California hardcourt event.

Noskova improved to 3-1 against Kostyuk, all matches coming this year as both made the WTA Finals for the first time.

Noskova won in three sets at the US Open fourth round in their most recent prior meeting and in the Wimbledon semi-finals, while Kostyuk won on her way to the Madrid clay crown.

This year's WTA Finals were scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia but in July were moved to Indian Wells after US military strikes on Iran in February and the subsequent war in the region. - AFP