Post by : Meena Ariff

Aryna Sabalenka moved a step closer to qualifying for the WTA Finals semi-finals after claiming her second straight victory in Group Steffi Graf. The four-time Grand Slam champion employed aggressive baseline play to maintain her challenge.

Sabalenka's opponent was Jessica Pegula, who remains in contention with a win on the board. Reflecting on the contest, Sabalenka remarked, “Pegula is an incredible player. She pushed me to the limit. I stayed aggressive and looked for my chances.”

Early in the match, Sabalenka broke Pegula to lead 4-2. Pegula responded with a break to level at 5-4 and fended off three set points, but Sabalenka produced a decisive forehand to capture the opening set.

The second set swung Pegula's way as she capitalised on 13 unforced errors from Sabalenka. Pegula secured two breaks to move 5-2 ahead and held on after saving two break points, forcing a third set.

In the final set Sabalenka was hampered by double faults, allowing Pegula an early advantage. Sabalenka rallied, using sharp returns close to the lines to generate two successive breaks, move ahead 4-2 and close out the match.

Coco Gauff Eliminates Paolini

Coco Gauff produced a composed performance to see off Italian qualifier Jasmine Paolini. Having suffered 17 double faults in her prior match against Pegula, Gauff cut that number to just three this time.

Gauff raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set. Paolini held serve for the first time after a lengthy rally, but Gauff's accurate cross-court hitting helped her take the set 6-3.

In set two, Gauff forced Paolini to cover the court and claimed consecutive breaks to move 5-2 up, then finished the match with a strong serve. Paolini was eliminated after suffering back-to-back defeats.

On her result, Gauff said, “I knew today’s win was important. Losing would have meant I was out of the tournament.”

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