Gauff upsets Swiatek, books semifinal spot at 2024 WTA Finals

After beating fellow American Jessica Pegula to open her WTA Finals campaign, Coco Gauff improved to 2-0 with another straight-sets win on Tuesday — this time against defending champion Iga Swiatek.

Gauff's 6-3, 6-4 win against the world No. 2 secured her place in the knockout stage of the year-end tournament for the second straight year. The 20-year-old is the youngest American to reach back-to-back semifinals at the WTA Finals since Tracy Austin in 1979-80, and the youngest player overall to achieve the feat since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009-10.

Gauff's second career win against Swiatek also snapped the defending WTA Finals champion's six-match winning streak at the event.

“It feels great. I knew going into it, despite our head-to-head [record], I had a lot of confidence," said Gauff, who is now 2-11 against Swiatek, with her previous win coming last summer en route to the Cincinnati title. "I felt like I was playing great tennis. Even when I was playing a bit sloppy, the games I lost were still going to deuce. They gave me confidence. I knew if I could stay solid, I’d have the chance to close out the match.”

Gauff did not allow a break chance in the opening set and saved six of eight break points in the second. The American closed out the victory with her fifth break of the match when a Swiatek forehand sailed long on the final point. She credited her ground game and her strong returning for the victory, as well as her ability to be mentally tough and to stay the course.

Swiatek will next take on Pegula in the final round of group-stage play. Pegula was eliminated from semifinal contention with her 6-3, 6-3 loss to Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday.

Townsend/Siniakova clinch SF spot

In WTA Finals doubles action, Taylor Townsend and her Czech partner Katerina Siniakova clinched their semifinal spot with a 6-2, 6-2 win against Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Australia's Ellen Perez on Monday.

Townsend and Siniakova have clinched their place in the semifinals, while Melichar-Martinez and Perez can still advance with a Wednesday win against top seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko.

"I thought we came out very clear with our game plan," Townsend said after her team improved to 2-0 on the week. "The first match really helped us shake out the nerves. We trusted in ourselves and it shows."