Iga Swiatek eases past Caroline Garcia to reach WTA Finals knockout stages, Coco Gauff eliminated
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Updated 04/11/2022 at 06:46 GMT
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek's talents were on full display at the WTA Finals in Texas, as she defeated France's Caroline Garcia 6-3 6-2 in Texas. Garcia started the match strongly, but she was unable to challenge Swiatek. The result ensures she has qualified for the semi-finals. Coco Gauff suffered a second singles defeat of the week so cannot reach the last four.
Swiatek: I'll be thinking about 2022 season for rest of my life
Iga Swiatek is through to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals after she cruised past Caroline Garcia in her second group game 6-3 6-2.
Garcia had a great record against Swiatek, as she is the only player to beat her at the WTA Finals, but the world No. 1 proved too strong for her opponent.
Daria Kasatkina beat Coco Gauff 7-6(6) 6-3 in the other match on Thursday which means the winner between her and Garcia, when the pair play on Sunday, will progress to the last four.
Gauff’s second defeat of the week means she cannot reach the knockout stage.
“For sure, I am trying to focus more,” Swiatek told the press after the game. “It’s my goal in this tournament, because in San Diego I felt like I needed to lose on set to get to a different level of focus – maybe because I was tired. But here, I feel like I can just give it all in.
“It’s the last tournament of the season and I have nothing to lose. I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to do next. For sure, I’m committed 100 per cent physically and mentally as well.”
Swiatek got the crucial first break in the third game of the opening set, which proved to be the difference between the pair.
But, she came flying out of the blocks in the second to break immediately, before she saved three break points on her way to going 2-0 up and went on to seal the match in over an hour.
Gauff out of WTA Finals
Gauff’s disappointing week in Fort Worth continues as she lost her fourth match in as many days, having also failed to win in the doubles, after losing 7-6(6) 6-3 to Kasatkina.
Having been defeated by Garcia on Tuesday, Gauff needed to win but found herself in tears when she threw away a 4-1 lead in the first set, only to lose on a tie-break.
The American was also 3-0 up in the tie-break but Kasatkina stormed back to edge out her opponent.
A rollercoaster second set saw Kasatkina break Gauff in each of her three service games as a run of unforced errors meant the teenager suffered another defeat, having also been eliminated from the doubles at the WTA Finals.
"I had a lot of chances,” said Gauff. “I didn't play my best tennis today, but a lot to take from it, a lot to learn from it and hopefully do better next time.
"In both the [singles] matches, I had opportunities. I think I made a lot of unforced errors. So I think that's something that I will have to clean up.”
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