Thanks to a 7:5, 6:4 victory over the already qualified Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova secures the last place in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals. Iga Swiatek loses out.
Swiatek had won 6:1, 6:0 against Daria Kassatkina, who had stepped in for the injured Jessica Pegula, before Krejcikova. The world number two from Poland then had to watch from the sidelines as Krejcikova put in a strong performance against Gauff. The Czech, who is only allowed to take part in the tournament in Saudi Arabia due to a special rule, prevailed in two sets to secure victory in the group.
This means that the semi-finals in Riyadh will feature duels between two outsiders and two favorites. Krejcikova will play China's Zheng Qinwen, while Gauff will face world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Krejcikova is currently only ranked 13th in the world. She qualified for the tournament of the year's top eight players by winning Wimbledon. Anyone who has won a Grand Slam tournament this year and is ranked in the top 20 can claim a starting place for the final tournament of the season.
SDA
