World No. 2 Iga Swiatek delivered a remarkable comeback against Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in her Orange Group singles opener at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Sunday.
Meanwhile, third seed Coco Gauff showcased her dominance by defeating her fellow American, Jessica Pegula, in straight sets, marking a strong start in the tournament.
In a thrilling encounter, defending champion Swiatek faced Krejcikova, initially struggling to find her rhythm. Swiatek dropped the first set 4-6 and soon found herself trailing 0-3 in the second, seemingly on the brink of defeat. However, she regrouped, adjusted her strategy, and secured a critical break at a pivotal moment to clinch the second set 7-5. Building on this newfound momentum, Swiatek surged through the deciding set, ultimately sealing a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over the Czech player.
Reflecting on her performance, Swiatek expressed relief at her recovery. “It wasn’t an easy match, especially at the beginning—I was in trouble,” she admitted. “I’m happy that I managed to find solutions and make my game more solid.”
In an all-American clash later in the day, Gauff, the tournament’s third seed, faced off against sixth-seeded Pegula. Gauff commanded the match from the start, efficiently dismantling her compatriot’s defenses. In a confident display, she wrapped up the match in just 1 hour and 15 minutes with a 6-3, 6-2 win. Gauff’s precision and power left little room for Pegula to counter, reinforcing her reputation as a formidable contender in the tournament.
The doubles action in the White Group provided further drama. Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe narrowly defeated Chan Hao-ching and Veronika Kudermetova, emerging victorious with a 7-6 (6), 6-4 win after a tense tiebreak. In another doubles clash, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini staged an impressive comeback against Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk. After dropping the first set 1-6, Errani and Paolini rebounded to claim the second 6-1 and secured the win with a 10-4 victory in the deciding match tiebreak.
As the WTA Finals progress, Swiatek’s resilience and Gauff’s assertive opening are setting the stage for intense competition in Riyadh, with fans eagerly awaiting the upcoming matches in both the singles and doubles brackets.
