Coco Gauff wins the American ‘derby’ on the first day of the WTA Finals

ByDavid Mitchell

Coco Gauff won this Sunday on the opening day of the WTA Finals in Indian Wells to the also American Jessica Pegula by 6-4, 5-7(5) and 6-2 in 2 hours and 39 minutes.

In the second set, Gauff saved three set points as Pegula led 5-1 and chained five consecutive games for 6-5. Gauff had a set point, but Pegula forced the tie-break, in which she won the set on the fifth opportunity.

In the other match of the first day, Linda Noskova, world number 8 and Wimbledon champion, beat Marta Kostyuk (n.10) by 6-2 and 6-4 in 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Kostyuk replaced the world number one, the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, who was out due to a viral episode this Saturday at the last minute.

Gauff, Pegula, Noskova and Kostyuk make up one of the two groups in the tournament. The other is made up of the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (n.2), the Russian Mirra Andreeva (n.3), the Ukrainian Elena Svitolina (n.6) and the Czech Karolina Muchova (n.7).

This Monday Sabalenka-Muchova and Andreeva-Svitolina will face each other on the first day of the second group.

The Finals are being held this year in Indian Wells (United States) after the WTA cut the three-year contract that granted Riyadh to host the tournament following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

As a passionate sports journalist with over a decade of experience, I strive to uncover the heart and soul behind every game. Supported by a dedicated team of fellow enthusiasts and storytellers, I am committed to delivering insightful and engaging content that connects fans worldwide. Together, we celebrate the victories, challenges, and unifying spirit of sports through every article we craft.