FORT WORTH, Texas — Tears gathered in Coco Gauff’s eyes as she sat on the WTA Finals sideline throughout a changeover Thursday evening after giving freely a lead in what would turn out to be a 7-6 (6), 6-3 round-robin loss to Daria Kasatkina that ended the 18-year-old American’s hopes of reaching the semifinals.
Gauff, who’s ranked No. 4, fell to 0-4 in her debut on the season-ending match for the perfect in ladies’s tennis — 0-2 in singles and 0-2 in doubles with Jessica Pegula. The Floridian was the youngest participant in each occasions on the WTA Finals since Anna Kournikova in 1999.
“I had a whole lot of possibilities. I did not play my greatest tennis at present, however lots to take from it, lots to study from it and hopefully do higher subsequent time,” Gauff mentioned. “In each the [singles] matches, I had alternatives. I feel I made a whole lot of unforced errors. So I feel that is one thing that I should clear up.”
Earlier Thursday, top-ranked Iga Swiatek beat Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 by taking management with an eight-point run that launched a match-ending stretch wherein she grabbed 9 of 11 video games.
“Pushed me out of my consolation zone,” Garcia mentioned.
Swiatek has gained all 4 units she’s performed thus far whereas dropping a complete of simply 10 video games.
“It is the final match of the season, so I’ve sort of nothing to lose. I haven’t got to fret what I will do subsequent,” Swiatek mentioned. “So, yeah, for positive, I am giving it 100%, bodily and mentally.”
The outcomes imply that Swiatek clinched a semifinal berth and that No. 6 Garcia will face No. 8 Kasatkina on Thursday for the opposite spot obtainable of their group.
Kasatkina, whose greatest Grand Slam displaying was a semifinal run on the French Open in June, began slowly Thursday, trailing 4-1 in opposition to Gauff, who was the runner-up in Paris. However Kasatkina started hitting extra pictures to Gauff’s forehand, her weaker facet, and that paid dividends.
Kasatkina shortly accrued 5 of six video games to steer 6-5; that was the rating when Gauff used a white towel to wipe away tears throughout a changeover. Gauff briefly righted issues, breaking to drive a tiebreaker that she led 3-0 and 4-2. However after saving Kasatkina’s preliminary pair of set factors, Gauff relented on the third, placing a forehand into the online to shut a 24-stroke alternate.
Gauff started the day 1-16 this season when ceding the primary set, whereas Kasatkina got here in 28-0 when claiming it, and people traits didn’t change.
Swiatek’s victory made her 14-1 in opposition to opponents ranked within the prime 10 in 2022 — and people 14 wins had been all in a row, the longest such single-season unbeaten streak on tour in 15 years.
Garcia is the one WTA Finals entrant who managed to defeat Swiatek this yr — on the Poland Open in July, when Garcia was ranked simply forty fifth — and the rating was 3-all early Thursday
However Swiatek then raced by the top of that set and went up a break at 2-0 within the second.
Swiatek’s topspin-heavy forehand might be her most harmful shot, however her backhand was as much as the duty on this present day — producing passing pictures when Garcia went to the online or closing lengthier baseline exchanges with winners — and her serve grew stronger because the match wore on, together with ending with a 108 mph ace.
This was Swiatek’s tour-high 66th win of the yr. The 21-year-old from Poland additionally leads with eight titles, together with on the French Open and US Open.
“She was undoubtedly the perfect this yr,” Garcia mentioned. “And she or he retains proving it.”
