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CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Iga Swiatek earned her first WTA Finals title and the year-end No. She is the youngest WTA Finals champion since Petra Kvitova was 21 in 2011. Pegula called it “an amazing year.”“You continue to push me to be a better player every single year,” Pegula said. In Cancun, Swiatek defeated Sabalenka in a semifinal that began Saturday, was suspended by rain, then finished on Sunday. The singles and doubles title matches both originally were scheduled to be contested Sunday, then were pushed back after a series of showers affected play during the WTA Finals.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Swiatek, Pegula, Justine Henin, “ We've, ” Swiatek, Petra Kvitova, ”, ” Pegula, “, that’s, Aryna Sabalenka, Sabalenka, Pegula hadn't, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Laura Siegemund, Vera Zvonareva, Nicole Melichar, Martinez, Ellen Perez, hasn't Organizations: WTA, tennis, U.S ., Russia Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Poland, Cancun, U.S, New York, Florida, Germany, Australia

☆ Coco Gauff convincingly beaten by Jessica Pegula in all-American WTA Finals tie
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Coco Gauff’s bid to become the first teenager since 2004 to win the WTA Finals ended in defeat after she was convincingly beaten by fellow American and doubles partner Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. Fifth seed Pegula took just an hour to complete a 6-2 6-1 win over the 19-year-old US Open champion in Cancún, Mexico. “I managed to get my act together at the end of the year,” Pegula told reporters. Spectators sit in the rain during the semifinal between Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. According to the WTA, Gauff would have become the first teenager since Maria Sharapova in 2004 to win the tournament.

Persons: Coco Gauff’s, Jessica Pegula, Pegula, “, ” Pegula, ”, Iga, Coco Gauff, Sarah Stier, Gauff, Maria Sharapova, Sharapova, Serena Williams, “ It’s, Laura Siegemund, Vera Zvonarava Organizations: CNN, WTA, Fifth Locations: Cancún, Mexico

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Iga Swiatek gave herself a shot at her first WTA Finals title and the year-end top ranking by eliminating No. The second semifinal, Swiatek vs. Sabalenka, was stopped in the fourth game. And on this court, she was definitely way, way better than me,” Sabalenka said. Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open in January for her first major title, could have guaranteed herself remaining at No. “Overall, I feel like me and Jessie, we played really in a smart way, and we’ve really kept calm.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, they've, ” Swiatek, Pegula, Coco Gauff, Swiatek, “, ” Sabalenka, Sabalenka, Justine Henin, Jessie, we’ve, ” Organizations: WTA, Pegula Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Poland, United States, Cancun, “

☆ Coco Gauff advances to the semifinals of the WTA Finals despite conceding 17 double faults in match
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Coco Gauff advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Finals with a hard-fought victory over Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová on Friday, despite conceding 17 double faults during the match. “I felt like I needed to hit through the court,” Gauff said afterwards, according to Sky Sports. When you play her pace and let her move you side to side, it’s tough. If the Belarusian defeats Iga Świątek in their semifinal, she will secure the year-end world No. Świątek secured her semifinal spot by defeating Ons Jabeur 6-1 6-2 while Pegula won all three of her matches in the round-robin group stages to set up a showdown against Gauff.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Markéta Vondroušová, Vondrousova, Caroline Wozniacki, Jessica Pegula, Gauff, “, ” Gauff, it’s, ”, Venus Williams, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Świątek, Świątek, Pegula Organizations: CNN, WTA, Wimbledon, Sky Sports, Gauff Locations: Czech, Cancún, Mexico

☆ Top seed Sabalenka knocks Rybakina out of WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Nov 3, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Aryna Sabalenka reacts to a point during her match against Elena Rybakina (KAZ) on day six of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsNov 3 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka outlasted Elena Rybakina 6-2 3-6 6-3 to reach the WTA Finals last four in a win-or-bust group match on Friday that was halted on Thursday due to stormy weather in Cancun. Under bright sunshine but still unrelenting winds, world number one Sabalenka unleashed an ace out wide on match point to send fourth seed Rybakina packing from the year-end tournament. "I didn't really think a lot about this match," Sabalenka told Tennis Channel. Belarusian Sabalenka joins American group winner Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals of the event between the world's top eight players.

Persons: Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, KAZ, Susan Mullane, Jessica Pegula, Kazakhstan's Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Iga, Coco Gauff, Marketa, Rory Carroll, Ken Ferris Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Tennis, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Belarusian, Los Angeles

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Jessica Pegula finished round-robin singles play at the WTA Finals with a 3-0 record a year after going 0-3 at the season-ending championship, heading to the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Maria Sakkari on Thursday night. The fifth-seeded Pegula extended her overall winning streak to eight matches, including a title at the Korean Open last month. The 29-year-old American has won all six sets she's played in Cancun so far and will play in the semifinals on Saturday. Sabalenka won that matchup in January for her first Grand Slam title. Sabalenka was ahead 5-1 in the first set Thursday when play was being delayed because of a storm.

Persons: — Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Pegula, she's, ” Pegula, ” Sakkari, Karolina Muchova, “, Coco Gauff, Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek, ___ Organizations: WTA, Korean, American, Sabalenka, U.S, Wimbledon Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Cancun

☆ Pegula upsets top seed Sabalenka at WTA Finals, reaches semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Oct 31, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Jessica Pegula (USA) returns a shot during her match against Aryna Sabalenka on day three of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. But Pegula kept her cool and captured the first set after a tense rally ended with a backhand into the net by Sabalenka on set point. Pegula raced out to a 4-0 lead in the second set, but Sabalenka once again rallied, breaking serve to cut Pegula's lead to 5-3. After the match, Pegula pushed back on the notion that her game is lacking in power compared to the likes of Sabalenka. The Kazakh world number four will take on Sabalenka on Thursday in a battle to reach the semis, while Pegula, already through to the semis, will face Sakkari in their final group stage match.

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka, Susan Mullane, Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Pegula, Sabalenka, Rybakina, Sakkari, Rybakina's, Maria, We're, Rory Carroll, Chiranjit, Lincoln, Sonali Paul Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Estadio Paradisus, Pegula, Tennis, Kazakh, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Mexican, Los Angeles

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Iga Swiatek says she and other women's tennis players are more united than in the past as they seek changes on the WTA Tour, including improvements to prioritize the athletes' well-being. “We are not happy with some things,” Swiatek, a three-time Grand Slam champion who was ranked No. Some players recently outlined various concerns in a letter to WTA CEO Steve Simon and during two meetings with tour leadership. Political Cartoons View All 1230 ImagesAmong the topics, Simon wrote, is late-night matches — a growing source of frustration for players. “I really feel like we — me and the other players, like, Ons (Jabeur), Coco ... and also some players that didn’t qualify for the finals — we’re really, really united, and we think the same way,” Swiatek said.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, ”, Coco Gauff, Steve Simon, Simon, The Associated Press —, “, Coco, we’re, ” Swiatek, Gauff, Swiatek, Sabalenka, ” That's, Marketa Vondrousova Organizations: WTA, U.S, The Associated Press, WTA Board, ” Wimbledon Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Poland, Cancun

☆ Jessica Pegula: US star defeats world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to reach semifinals of WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Jessica Pegula defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to advance past the group stage and reach the semifinals of the WTA Finals. Rybakina defeated Maria Sakkari 6-0 6-7 7-6 in Tuesday’s other match, meaning the Greek player has been eliminated after losing her second straight match. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays American Jessica Pegula of United States during day 3 of the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico. It is only the fourth time since 2000 that a player on the WTA Tour has recorded three wins over world No.

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Sabalenka, Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, “, ”, I’ve, Aryna, Clive Brunskill, Sakkari Organizations: CNN, WTA Locations: Cancun , Mexico, Kazakh, Belarus, United States

☆ Swiatek overcomes early deficit to beat Vondrousova at WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Iga Swiatek erased a 5-2 first set deficit and ultimately rolled to a 7-6(3) 6-0 win over Marketa Vondrousova in the Pole's first match of the group stage of the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun on Monday. Swiatek completed the first set comeback on a double fault and a disillusioned Vondrousova went quietly in the second set. She came into her third WTA Finals with a ton of momentum, however, after winning her first WTA 1000 title of the season in Beijing, and has a chance to retake the top spot from Aryna Sabalenka in Cancun. Vondrousova, who made her top-10 debut after emerging as the surprise winner of Wimbledon, is making her first appearance at the season-ending Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marketa, Swiatek, Vondrousova, Rory Carroll, Muralikumar Organizations: Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Beijing, Vondrousova, Los Angeles

☆ Pegula beats Rybakina in WTA Finals opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 29, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Jessica Pegula (USA) shakes hands with Elena Rybakina (KAZ) after their match on day one of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsOct 29 (Reuters) - American Jessica Pegula won 10 of the last 12 games to beat an error-prone Elena Rybakina and notch a 7-5 6-2 win in Group A at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, on Sunday. The big-serving Rybakina looked poised to capture the first set when she stepped to the service line leading 5-3 in the opener but Pegula raised her return game for a crucial break. Pegula, who is seeded fifth, will on Tuesday face eighth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, who was battling top seed Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday's Group A night match. The Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 Finals features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world.

Persons: Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, KAZ, Susan Mullane, Rybakina, Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Rory Carroll, Michael Perry Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Tennis Channel, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Cancun , Mexico, Greece, Los Angeles

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — The women's tennis tour defended the court built for the WTA Finals as meeting its “strict performance standards” after No. “Honestly, it’s another level of disrespect from the WTA for the players, because sometimes they don’t even feel safe to move on this court. That’s not the level I expect from the WTA Finals,” Sabalenka said Sunday night after beating Maria Sakkari 6-0, 6-1 in one of the opening matches in round-robin play. ... Everything was late and (there was) no time to fix anything.”Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesThe venue for this year's WTA Finals was not announced until last month, under a one-year agreement with Cancun. “We’re pleased to host the WTA Finals in Cancun for the first time and worked hard to construct a stadium where the world’s top eight women’s tennis players and doubles teams compete head-to-head.

Persons: Sabalenka, That’s, ” Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, ”, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, it’s, “ We’re, ___ Organizations: WTA, U.S, Wimbledon Locations: CANCUN, Mexico, Cancun

☆ Sabalenka slams WTA for court conditions in Cancun
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Oct 29, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during her match against Maria Sakkari (GRE) on day one of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. read more"I have to say though that I am very disappointed with the WTA and the experience so far at the WTA Finals. As I said in my press conference tonight, as a player I really feel disrespected by the WTA. "The team has worked diligently on an expedited timeline amid weather challenges to ensure the stadium and court meet our strict performance standards," the WTA said. I'm very happy to be in Mexico, I'm just upset with the WTA and this situation."

Persons: Aryna Sabalenka, Maria Sakkari, Susan Mullane, Sabalenka, It's, Estadio Paradisus, I'm, Rory Carroll, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Estadio, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Cancun , Mexico, Los Angeles

☆ WTA Finals: How to watch and everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After a season filled with absorbing storylines, the top players on tour will converge at the WTA Finals this week with the year-end No. After reaching at least the semifinals in every grand slam and winning the Australian Open, Sabalenka is currently the world No. 1 and will be joined by Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová, US Open champion Coco Gauff, French Open champion Świątek, Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina and US star Jessica Pegula. In one group Sabalenka, Rybakina, Pegula and Sakkari will face each other while Swiatek, Gauff, Jabeur and Vondrousova will play each other in the other. Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in the Australian Open earlier this year, while Rybakina exacted her revenge in the Indian Wells final.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Świątek, Markéta Vondroušová, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Swiatek, Emmanuel Wong, Muchová, Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Vondrousova, Sabalenka, Rybakina, “ I’m, ” Gauff, ” Coco Gauff, Gauff, Elise Mertens, Storm Hunter, Veronika Kudermetova Organizations: CNN, WTA, Tennis, Tennis Channel, Amazon Prime, Wimbledon, Świątek, Getty, Indian Wells, “ Locations: USA, Ireland, French, Indian, Cancun, Mexico, Guadalajara

☆ Sabalenka aiming to thwart Swiatek at WTA Finals, keep top spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 29 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka has enjoyed a stellar 2023 and the Belarusian will head into the season-ending WTA Finals on Sunday in Cancun, Mexico, aiming to fend off Iga Swiatek and secure the year-end world number one ranking. Australian Open champion Sabalenka leapfrogged four-time major winner Swiatek and claimed the top ranking for the first time after the U.S. Open last month. I won a Grand Slam," said French Open champion Swiatek, who will be making her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance." Joining the mix are U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff and fellow American Jessica Pegula, who are also partners in the doubles competition. Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, Kazakh world number four Elena Rybakina, Tunisian world number seven and Greek world number nine Maria Sakkari will also challenge the field as they look to add gloss to their seasons.

Persons: Sabalenka, Iga, Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari, Shrivathsa Sridhar Organizations: U.S, China, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Belarusian, Cancun , Mexico, Flushing Meadows, Polish, Kazakh, Mexico, Guadalajara, Bengaluru

☆ WTA Finals: Records, history and the evolution of showpiece event of women’s tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —By pitting the world’s best players against each other every year, the WTA Finals have been a celebration of women’s tennis for over half a century. The end-of-year championship sees the eight top-ranked singles players and eight top-ranked doubles pairings battle it out to be crowned the ultimate champions of the year. In 1973, after a meeting with more than 60 other players, King founded the WTA – a new tour uniting all of women’s professional tennis. Mark Foley/APWith women’s tennis entering a new, more prosperous era, the WTA Finals returned for a second year. This year’s WTA Finals begin on October 29, with the final taking place on November 5.

Persons: Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, King, Bobby Riggs, ” Chris Evert, Mark Foley, Evert, Serena Williams, Julian Finney, Monica Seles ’, Gabriela Sabatini, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, Markéta Vondroušová, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Muchová, Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Aryna, Sarah Stier, Gauff, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade Organizations: CNN, WTA, Virginia Slims, American, women’s, Garden, Apple, Getty, Guadalajara, Wimbledon Locations: Boca Raton , Florida, “, Los Angeles, New York’s, Oakland, Spain, Turkey, Singapore, Cancun , Mexico, Mexico, French

☆ Flawless Swiatek powers past Samsonova to claim Beijing title
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The season finale, where the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world face off, begins on Oct. 29. For sure, it was the last thing I expected at the beginning of the tournament," Swiatek said. French Open champion Swiatek also became the first player since American Serena Williams to claim five or more titles in successive years. Swiatek also became the player with the most WTA 1000 titles before turning 23 with six, eclipsing Caroline Wozniacki's five. "It was an amazing week," said Samsonova, whose run to a second WTA 1000 final of the season ensured she will return to the top 20.

Persons: Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Samsonova, Serena Williams, Williams, Caroline Wozniacki's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: WTA, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russian, China, Belarusian, Cancun , Mexico, Tokyo, Bengaluru

☆ Swiatek ends Gauff's 16-match winning streak to reach Beijing final
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But Swiatek, who had surrendered her top ranking to Aryna Sabalenka after losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the season's final Grand Slam last month, regained her grip on her rivalry with Gauff to reach a seventh final this year. Up next for Swiatek is Samsonova, who beat former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 7-6(7) 6-3 to improve her head-to-head record over the Moscow-born Kazakh world number five to 4-0. "Every time it's a battle with Elena ... She's a champion," Samsonova said. The 24-year-old Samsonova, who is ranked 22, has now beaten three former Grand Slam champions in Beijing with victories over Petra Kvitova and Ostapenko in earlier rounds. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Florence Lo, Swiatek, Coco Gauff's, Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jelena Ostapenko, I'm, It's, Elena Rybakina, Elena, Samsonova, Petra Kvitova, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Hugh Lawson Organizations: National Tennis Center, United, United States REUTERS, Rights, China, Russian, Cincinnati, U.S ., Wimbledon, Kazakh, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Rights BEIJING, Moscow, She's, Bengaluru

☆ Sinner powers past Alcaraz to book Beijing final with Medvedev
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Earlier, second seed Medvedev had an easier than expected 6-4 6-3 semi-final win over familiar rival Alexander Zverev. This was the fifth meeting between the pair this year and although Russian world number three Medvedev won three of the previous four, Zverev had won their most recent clash in Cincinnati. The American's frequent doubles partner Jessica Pegula also had to dig deep for a 6-7(2) 6-2 6-1 win over Anna Blinkova. The 29-year-old faces 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko seeking a fourth win in their fifth meeting. World number two Iga Swiatek progressed with a 6-4 6-1 win over Varvara Gracheva and fifth seed Elena Rybakina beat Tatjana Maria 7-5 6-0 after Ons Jabeur lost 7-6(5) 6-1 to Marta Kostyuk.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Zverev, I'm, Aryna Sabalenka, Katie Boulter, Jasmine Paolini, Sabalenka, Wells, Indian Wells, Coco Gauff, Croatia's Petra Martic, Veronika Kudermetova, Gauff, Martic, Jessica Pegula, Anna Blinkova, Pegula, Jelena Ostapenko, Iga Swiatek, Varvara Gracheva, Elena Rybakina, Tatjana Maria, Marta Kostyuk, Trevor Stynes, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: China, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Russian, Cincinnati, Chengdu, Indian

☆ Swiatek on board with WTA's performance byes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Byes are usually reserved for top seeds at events but the performance rule meant world number two Swiatek, who lost in the Tokyo quarters, went into the first round in China. World number one Aryna Sabalenka and number three Coco Gauff missed out on byes as they had not played since the U.S. Open. The Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo was a WTA 500 event, while the China Open is a WTA 1000 tournament. The WTA said it would continue to implement performance byes on a trial basis at its events during the rest of the season and throughout 2024, with adjustments made when required. Elena Rybakina pulled out of last week's Pan Pacific Open citing fitness issues, days after slamming the women's governing body for the introduction of performance byes at the event.

Persons: Iga, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Brendan Mcdermid, Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sakkari, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Coco Gauff, it's, Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Peter Rutherford, Pritha Organizations: Tennis, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan REUTERS, Tokyo, U.S ., Pan, WTA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Tokyo, China, Guadalajara, Mexico, Bengaluru

☆ Flawless Kudermetova dismantles Pegula to claim Tokyo title
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was Kudermetova's second win over Pegula this season - following her victory in the Madrid quarter-finals - and a fifth win in her last six matches against top-10 opponents. It's my second title and I'm proud of myself," said Kudermetova, whose previous title was also a WTA 500 crown at Charleston in 2021. "I prepared myself for a tough match as Jessica is a great player and a great fighter... Pegula counted the positives after a good week in which she did not drop a set until the final. "It's always great to give yourself a chance to win the tournament," Pegula said.

Persons: Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, Jessica Pegula, Androniki, Veronika Kudermetova, Iga, I'm, Jessica, It's, Pegula, Aryna, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard, Michael Perry Organizations: Pan, Ariake, U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Pan Pacific, Charleston, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, American, Russian, Madrid, Beijing, Cancun , Mexico, Bengaluru

☆ Sabalenka shines in first match as No. 1, Vondrousova crashes in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The win handed Belarusian Sabalenka a measure of redemption following a stunning defeat by the 2020 Australian Open champion in the Rome second round earlier this season. "I'm super happy with the win, I think I played really great tennis today," Sabalenka said. But it was the end of the road for Czech world number eight Vondrousova, who fell to Rome runner-up Kalinina despite making a strong start to their first tour-level meeting. "Today was a perfect match for me," said Alcaraz, who is making his debut in Beijing. It was a great match.

Persons: Coco Gauff, USTA Billie Jean King, Danielle Parhizkaran, Aryna Sabalenka, Sofia Kenin, Marketa Vondrousova, Katie Boulter, Magdalena Frech, Sabalenka, Kalinina, Carlos Alcaraz, Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Clare Fallon Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, Rights, Sofia, China, Wimbledon, U.S, Belarusian, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, United States, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, China, Rome, Czech, Bengaluru

☆ Sabalenka, Swiatek lead first set of qualifiers for WTA Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 23 (Reuters) - World number one Aryna Sabalenka will make her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, as the governing body of women's tennis announced its first set of qualifiers for the season finale. Australian Open champion Sabalenka will be joined by four-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, whom she leapfrogged to claim the top ranking for the first time after the U.S. Open earlier this month, the WTA announced on Friday. She will look to improve on her runner-up finish at last year's WTA Finals in Fort Worth. U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff booked her place in both the singles and doubles competitions. The WTA Finals run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5.

Persons: Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, USTA Billie Jean King, Robert Deutsch, Iga Swiatek, leapfrogged, Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina, Shrivathsa Sridhar, William Mallard Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, WTA, U.S, Wimbledon, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, United States, Cancun , Mexico, Mexico, Guadalajara, Flushing Meadows, Fort Worth . U.S, Kazakhstan, Bengaluru

☆ Coco Gauff: Even at the age of 10, tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou was convinced US star would be ‘great’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Patrick Snell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou came away from his first meeting with a 10-year-old Coco Gauff convinced that she was destined for greatness. Gauff and Mouratoglou have known each other for almost 10 years and worked together in an unofficial capacity ahead of this year's French Open. Gauff can now call herself a grand slam Champion. “She has learned to deal with [the pressure] at a young age, and that explains partly her ability to win her first grand slam final at only 19 years old,” said Mouratoglou. “I think the Williams sisters have inspired a lot of African Americans and Black people in general,” he said.

Persons: Serena Williams ’, Patrick Mouratoglou, Coco Gauff, “, CNN Sport’s Patrick Snell, ” Gauff, Christophe Saidi, “ Coco, ”, Roland Garros, Venus Williams, Gauff, Simona Halep, Elsa, Getty, Mouratoglou, Serena Williams, Williams, Serena, ” Williams, Scott Barbour, Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, “ She’s Organizations: CNN, Mouratoglou Academy, Wimbledon, Washington D.C, Mouratoglou, Getty Locations: United States, “, Cincinnati, New York

☆ WTA roundup: Madison Keys loses Guadalajara opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Keys, the tournament's fourth seed, received a first-round bye. Navarro converted five of her seven break-point opportunities, while Keys broke serve three times on five chances. Navarro advances to face former U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada, who knocked out 13th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3, 6-4. 1 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia routed the United States' Alycia Parks 6-2, 6-2, and No. The United States' Sofia Kenin eliminated 12th-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Persons: Madison Keys, Aryna Sabalenka, Mike Segar, Keys, Navarro, Leylah Fernandez, Elise Mertens, Maria Sakkari, Australia's Storm Hunter, Caroline Garcia of France, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Poland's Magdalena Frech, Sofia Kenin, Lucia Bronzetti, Yi Yang, Bronzetti, Yang's, Uchijima, France's, Tatjana Maria of, Alexandra Eala, Daria Saville of, Germany's Anna, Lena Friedsam, Viktoria Hruncakova, Russian Anna Kalinskaya, Viktorija, Yulia Putintseva, Xiyu Wang, Yue Yuan, Zhuoxuan Bai Organizations: Madison, Belarus, Aryna Sabalenka REUTERS, U.S, Australia's Storm, Poland's, United, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Guadalajara, Mexico, Open Akron, U.S, Canada, Belgium, Tunisia, Greece, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Guangzhou, Italy, Taiwan, China, Tatjana Maria of Germany, Philippines, Daria Saville of Australia, Slovakia, Russian, Switzerland, Kazakhstan

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