Swiatek crashes out of WTA Finals after Krejcikova rejects Gauff | WTA finals

Defending champion Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the WTA Finals after Barbora Krejcikova defeated Coco Gauff to book her place in the last four.

Swiatek had earlier spent less than an hour dispatching Daria Kasatkina, who had replaced the injured Jessica Pegula, 6-1, 6-0 in today’s opening match in Riyadh.

But her chances of progressing hinged on the second match and her luck ran out as the Wimbledon champion, Krejcikova, battled to a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Gauff, whose place in the semi-finals was already assured.

All three women finished the group stage with two wins from three matches, but Krejcikova, the lowest-ranked player at the tournament, topped the pool by virtue of the best set percentage, with Swiatek the one to miss out.

Krejcikova, of the Czech Republic, faces Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the last four on Friday, while Gauff faces world no. 1, Aryna Sabalenka. Krejcikova’s shock Wimbledon victory was the outstanding highlight of what has been a largely disappointing season for her.

But she has risen to the occasion in Saudi Arabia, bouncing back from a three-set defeat by Swiatek in her opening match to beat Pegula and Gauff and save 11 of 12 break points on Thursday.

“This is definitely a big win for me,” the 28-year-old said in his on-court interview. “I’m really happy with the way I played. To be able to qualify for the final and also reach the semi-finals, it’s something unthinkable before this tournament. I’m very proud of myself and I’m looking forward to the new challenges.”