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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

☆ Ons Jabeur to donate part of her WTA Finals prize money to ‘help the Palestinians’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

7 Ons Jabeur said she would donate part of her WTA Finals prize money to help Palestinians, in a tearful speech on Wednesday. “The situation in the world doesn’t make me happy,” Jabeur said, fighting back tears as she spoke to the crowd. It’s heartbreaking, so I have decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.”‘Just humanity’“I cannot be happy with just this win, with what’s happening. I’m sorry guys, it’s supposed to be about tennis, but it’s very frustrating looking at videos every day,” Jabeur added. Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesBy winning her first group match at this year’s WTA Finals, Jabeur will receive at least $198,000 in prize money.

Persons: Markéta, ” Jabeur, “, ”, ’, it’s, Jabeur, Mo Salah, it's, Sarah Stier, old’s, Iga Świątek, Świątek, Coco Gauff Organizations: CNN, WTA, Palestinian Ministry of Health Locations: Tunisian, Cancun , Mexico, Gaza, Ramallah

☆ Swiatek crushes Gauff at WTA Finals, Jabeur vanquishes Vondrousova
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Nov 1, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Iga Swiatek (POL) returns a shot during her match against Coco Gauff (USA) on day four of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. Swiatek came out firing in their group stage match and broke the U.S. Open champion for a second time with a lovely looping crosscourt winner to take a 4-0 lead. The evening group stage match saw a rematch of the Wimbledon final as sixth seed Ons Jabeur got back at the grand slam winner Vondrousova with a straight set win. It was Jabeur's first win in the group after Monday's loss to Gauff, leaving both of them with one win each as Swiatek holds the top spot with two victories. All four players in the group can reach the semi-finals as Friday's fixtures pit Swiatek against Jabeur and Gauff against Vondrousova in the last round of the group stage.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Susan Mullane, Swiatek, Marketa, Gauff, Jabeur, Rory Carroll, Michael Perry Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Wimbledon, U.S, Gauff, Vondrousova, Jabeur, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Jabeur, Los Angeles

☆ 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

☆ Gauff 'feeling the love' in Cancun after maiden WTA Finals win
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 30, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Coco Gauff (USA) returns a shot during her match against Ons Jabeur (TUN) on day two of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. "I got a marriage proposal yesterday so I'm feeling the love here in Cancun," Gauff said with a laugh after the match, thanking the crowd who showed up despite the weather. The 19 year old's first victory in WTA finals came after a winless campaign last year and it made her the first American teenager to win a match at the WTA Finals since Venus Williams in 1999. Gauff, who qualified for the WTA Finals as the third seed, will face second seed Iga Swiatek in her next Group B outing on Wednesday. Swiatek, a Polish former world number one, beat Gauff by straight sets in last year's WTA Finals, and won three of their four subsequent matches.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Susan Mullane, Gauff, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Zendaya, Iga Swiatek, Swiatek, Chiranjit, Robert Birsel Organizations: Cancun, WTA, Tunisian Group, Tennis, Marketa, Thomson Locations: Cancun, Mexico, Polish, Bengaluru

☆ Coco Gauff thrashes Ons Jabeur in near-perfect start to WTA Finals campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

7 Ons Jabeur, needing less than an hour to win 6-0, 6-1 in her first match of this year’s WTA Finals on Monday. The American won the first seven games of the match before Jabeur was momentarily saved by a lengthy rain delay in Cancun, Mexico. After returning to court, Jabeur finally won a game, but the respite was short-lived as third-seed Gauff raced to a straight-sets victory. French Open champion Świątek also started her WTA Finals campaign with a win, fighting back from 5-2 down in the first set to beat Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová 7-6 (7-3) 6-0. “She played a correct match, didn’t make a lot of mistakes.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Jabeur, Gauff, ” Gauff, I’m, Billie Jean King Trophy, Iga Świątek, Świątek, Markéta, Clive Brunskill, Caroline Wozniacki, “, ” Jabeur Organizations: CNN, American, WTA, Gauff, Wimbledon, Pere Riba Locations: Cancun , Mexico

☆ 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

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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: 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

☆ 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

☆ NBA 'first class' in China despite past turbulence, says Yao
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President of Chinese Basketball Association and Ice and Snow Sports Promotion Ambassador Yao Ming attends a media event ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Yew Lun Tian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 25 (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association (NBA) and China may have encountered turbulence in their relations over the years but retired great Yao Ming told Reuters the league is still "first class" in his home country. Yao propelled the league's popularity in his home country but relations between China and the NBA have not always been smooth. "I have to say, the NBA is in the first class... (because) you know the players being exposed in China for so long," Yao said, when asked about the past issues between China and the NBA. "The players, the teams (are) all still very well welcome in China and (we had) a couple of players with (in) China just this past summer."

Persons: Yao Ming, Yao, Daryl Morey, Dwight Howard, Kyle Anderson, Jimmy Butler, Adam Silver, Silver, Peng Shuai, Peng, Amy Tennery, Echo Wang, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Chinese Basketball Association and, Snow Sports, REUTERS, National Basketball Association, Reuters, Chinese Basketball Association, Houston Rockets, NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves, FIBA, Miami, Women's Tennis Association, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, New York

☆ Muchova withdraws from WTA Finals, to be replaced by Sakkari
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Czech Muchova was the eighth player to qualify for the season-ending tournament after reaching the Cincinnati final and the U.S. Open semi-final round, losing to American Coco Gauff on both occasions. "Together with the team and doctors we tried everything till the last moment to resolve my wrist injury," Muchova said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the time needed for the recovery is longer than we would've hoped for and therefore I had to make this unpleasant decision." As a result, the ninth-ranked Sakkari will feature in her third straight WTA Finals at this year's event, which starts on Sunday, after reaching the semi-finals a year ago. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare FallonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Karolina Muchova, Coco Gauff, Mike Segar, Maria Sakkari, Czech Muchova, Muchova, Amy Tennery, Clare Fallon Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, WTA, Cincinnati, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Czech, Cancun, Greece, New York

☆ WTA roundup: Elise Mertens upends top seed to win in Tunisia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mertens, of Belgium, didn't drop a set all week on her way to her eighth career singles title. Jiangxi OpenKaterina Siniakova overcame three match points, seven double faults and a first-set thumping to defeat third-seeded Marie Bouzkova to win the all-Czech final 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) in Nanchang, China. The match between the countrywomen lasted three hours, 33 minutes, making it the longest WTA final in 2023. Transylvania OpenTamara Korpatsch of Germany won her first career WTA title, defeating home-country favorite 6-3, 6-4 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It was the first tour final for the 28-year-old Korpatsch, who needed one hour, 52 minutes to get the win.

Persons: Storm Hunter, Belgium's Elise Mertens, Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski, Erin Routliffe REUTERS, Henry, Elise Mertens, Jasmine Paolini, Mertens, Katerina Siniakova, Marie Bouzkova, Siniakova, Bouzkova, Tamara Korpatsch, Ruse, Korpatsch Organizations: Panamerican Tennis Center, Storm, Monastir, Jiangxi, WTA, Germany, Ruse, Thomson Locations: Guadalajara, Mexico, Jasmin, Italy, Tunisia, Belgium, Nanchang, China, Cluj, Napoca, Romania

☆ WTA roundup: Zheng Qinwen advances at Zhengzhou Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She will face Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, who posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Russian qualifier Vera Zvonareva. Hana Bank Korea OpenBelgium's Yanina Wickmayer seized a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia to move on to the quarterfinals in Seoul. Wickmayer will meet Russian Polina Kudermetova, who breezed to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Kathinka von Deichmann of Liechenstein. Fifth-seeded Anna Blinkova of Russia coasted to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Australian Priscilla Hon to advance to the third round. Third-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium had little difficulty in her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Daria Saville.

Persons: China's, Zheng, China's Zhu Lin REUTERS, Kim Kyung, Zheng Qinwen, Maria Sakkari, Sakkari, Kalinina, Vera Zvonareva, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Caroline Garcia of, Ukraine's, Tsurenko, Donna Vekic, Wickmayer, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Kudermetova, Kathinka von Deichmann, Claire Liu, Arantxa Rus, China's Yuan Yue, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Anna Blinkova, Russia coasted, Priscilla Hon, Elise Mertens, Daria Saville Organizations: Tennis Centre, Russian, Caroline Garcia of France, Hana Bank, Hong, Belarus, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Greece, Zhengzhou, Croatia, Hana Bank Korea, Russia, Seoul, Wickmayer, Arantxa, Netherland, Hong Kong, Brazil, Belgium

☆ WTA roundup: Jelena Ostapenko upset in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wild card Dayeon Back, down 5-2 in the third set, rallied to beat second-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in two hours, 13 minutes to advance. It was the first time two South Koreans won their opening matches in Seoul since 2013. 569, was able to force Ostapenko into long rallies, and the mistakes piled up for Ostapenko. In other first-round action, Liudmila Samsonova of Russia, fresh off her finals appearance in the China Open, continued her strong play with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Germany's Tatjana Maria. Another Russian, Kamilla Rakhimova, beat eighth seed Varvara Gracheva of France 6-3, 6-2, and Czech Linda Fruhvirtova topped seventh-seeded Peyton Stearns in three sets.

Persons: Jelena Ostapenko, Russia's Liudmila Samsonova, Florence, Jeong Jang, Sofia Kenin, Jang, Kenin, Jessica Pegula, Viktoria, Marie Bouzkova, Vera Zvonareva, Veronika Kudermetova, Zvonareva, Germany's Tatjana Maria, Daria Kasatkina of, Petra Martic, Laura Siegemund, Zhuoxuan Bai, Canadian Leylah Fernandez, Victoria, Fernandez, Anna Blinkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Martina Trevisan, Kamilla, Varvara Gracheva, Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, Peyton Stearns Organizations: National Tennis Center, Hana Bank, South Koreans, Ostapenko, Viktoria Hruncakova, WTA, China . Hong Kong, Victoria Azarenka, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Hana Bank Korea, Seoul, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Zhengzhou, Russia, Daria Kasatkina of Russia, Croatia, Germany, China . Hong, Canadian, Italy, France, Czech

☆ 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

☆ Coco Gauff loses to Iga Świątek at China Open to snap 16-match win streak
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

2 Iga Świątek in the semifinals of the China Open on Saturday, ending her 16-match win streak. But that all came to end as Świątek cruised to a 6-2 6-3 win against the American in Beijing. “I’m really proud of myself,” Gauff said afterwards, according to the China Open. They have faced each other more than any other opponent and the match almost always ends in Świątek favor. 22 Liudmila Samsonova for the China Open title on Sunday.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Gauff, Serena Williams, Świątek, “ I’m, ” Gauff, ”, Florence Lo, Reuters Świątek, I’m, ” Świątek, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, China, WTA, Reuters Locations: American, Beijing, Świątek

BEIJING (AP) — Second-ranked Iga Swiatek ended Coco Gauff's 16-match winning streak as she advanced to the China Open final with a dominant 6-2, 6-3 victory over the U.S. Open champion on Saturday. Swiatek will meet No.22-ranked Liudmila Samsonova in Sunday's final, after the Russian ousted fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina 7-6 (7), 6-3. Swiatek maintained her vice-like grip on the match, breaking Gauff at the start of the second set to lead 2-0. SHANGHAI MASTERSThird-ranked Daniil Medvedev beat Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday for his 60th win of the season. Sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner, fresh from his China Open final win, had a 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory over Marcos Giron.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff's, Elena Rybakina, Swiatek, “ I’m, ” Swiatek, I’m, It’s, Samsonova, Daniil Medvedev, Cristian Garin 6, Medvedev, Garin, Sebastian Korda ., Tsitsipas, Rinky, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Ofner ., Marcos Giron, Sebastian Baez, Nicolas Jarry, Matteo Arnaldi, Carlos Alcaraz, Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, ___ Organizations: BEIJING, China, U.S, Samsonova, Rybakina, SHANGHAI, Shanghai Masters, China Open Locations: Montreal, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows, Swiatek, Sunday's, Russian, Shanghai, Italian

☆ 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

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