Pegula beats Noskova to advance at WTA Finals, knock out Gauff
Jessica Pegula saved a match point to win 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-5 and reach the WTA Finals semifinals while Coco Gauff was eliminated.
Jessica Pegula defeated Linda Noskova in the final Group 1 round-robin match at the WTA Finals, advancing to the semifinals and ending Coco Gauff's campaign despite Gauff's win over Marta Kostyuk.
Key takeaways
- Jessica Pegula beat Linda Noskova 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-5 to reach the WTA Finals semifinals.
- Coco Gauff defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5 but was eliminated from the season-ending event.
- Pegula fired a career-high 16 aces in the must-win match against Noskova.
- Pegula will face Mirra Andreeva on Saturday after finishing second in Group 1 behind Noskova.
Jessica Pegula reached the WTA Finals semifinals and knocked Coco Gauff out of the elite season-ending event after a three-set victory over Linda Noskova on Thursday. The fifth-ranked American fired a career-high 16 aces to win 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-5 in the final Group 1 round-robin match.
What we know
Pegula saved a match point at 5-4 in the third set before breaking Noskova in the next game and closing out the win on her first match point. The result meant Gauff was eliminated despite her gritty 6-4, 7-5 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. Gauff saved three set points while trailing 5-1 in the second set against Kostyuk and won in one hour and 39 minutes despite nine double faults.
Why it matters
Noskova had already secured her semifinal spot with two round-robin wins and was on the brink of a perfect group record before Pegula’s comeback. Pegula finished second in Group 1 behind Noskova and will face Group 2 winner Mirra Andreeva on Saturday. Round-robin play concludes on Friday when Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina meet to decide the second qualifier from their group.
What happens next
Pegula will face Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals on Saturday. Andreeva said after her opening match that Pegula had reached out to apologise and she considered the matter closed. The WTA Finals is the season-ending championship of the WTA Tour and features the top eight singles players based on their results throughout the season.
By the numbers
Pegula is ranked fifth in the world and has won eleven singles titles, including four WTA 1000 titles. Gauff has won twelve career singles titles, including two majors at the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open, as well as the 2024 WTA Finals and four WTA 1000 events. Noskova won her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon in July.
Group 1 results at the WTA Finals
Match | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
Pegula vs Noskova | Pegula | 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-5 |
Gauff vs Kostyuk | Gauff | 6-4, 7-5 |
Noskova vs Gauff | Noskova | 6-3, 6-3 |
Pegula vs Kostyuk | Pegula | 6-2, 7-5 |
Key figures from the match
Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
Pegula aces | 16 |
Gauff double faults vs Kostyuk | 9 |
Gauff match time vs Kostyuk | 1 hour 39 minutes |
Pegula career-high ranking | World No. 3 |
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