World No. 4 Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 on the opening day of the WTA Finals at Indian Wells. In the day’s earlier round-robin action, Czech player Linda Noskova secured a straight-sets victory over alternate Marta Kostyuk.
Gauff Outlasts Pegula in Three Sets
Gauff claimed the opening set before falling behind 5-1 in the second set. The 22-year-old fought back by winning five consecutive games and saving three set points to earn a match point at 6-5. Pegula saved the match point and went on to win the tie-break, forcing a deciding third set.
In the final set, Gauff broke Pegula’s serve early to establish a 3-0 lead before securing her sixth victory over her former doubles partner after two hours and 39 minutes. The result marked their 11th career meeting and the fourth consecutive year the two players have met at the season-ending tournament.
The contest was Gauff’s first competitive match since participating in the China Open in early October. Following the match, Gauff noted that the physical demands of her movement left her shoes worn out and requiring a replacement for her next outing.
“Honestly, I was having a lot of fun today. I took a little break, it was my first match in a month,” Gauff said. “To play a tournament like this with no preparation is something I’ve never done in my career. I’m just really happy to get through today. It was a tough match.”
Pegula took the court following a recent incident in which broadcast microphones captured comments she made to her coach regarding player Mirra Andreeva during a practice session. The WTA subsequently issued an apology to players after acknowledging it had failed to inform them that live microphones were active.
Noskova Wins Opener Against Alternate Kostyuk
In the earlier match, Linda Noskova earned a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in her debut appearance at the event. Kostyuk entered the tournament field as an alternate after top seed Elena Rybakina withdrew a day prior to the start of competition due to a medical issue.
Noskova broke service early in the first set, winning four of the subsequent five games to take the lead. Kostyuk held serve during her opening games of the second set, but Noskova gained a break to move ahead 4-2. Kostyuk missed a chance to break back while trailing 4-3, allowing the Czech player to serve out the victory.
“My main focus was myself,” Noskova told Sky Sports. “Marta is a very difficult opponent, because she never gives up, but I felt like I had the match under control the whole time.”
Noskova added that her previous encounters against Kostyuk required her to play as aggressively as possible to counter her opponent’s speed and net play, noting how challenging it is to secure the final point against her.
