Jessica Pegula saved a match point on Thursday to secure a hard-fought 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 7-5 victory over Linda Noskova at the WTA Finals. The win advanced Pegula from her round-robin group and eliminated fellow American Coco Gauff from the season-ending tournament, which was relocated from Riyadh to Indian Wells.
Pegula Overcomes Noskova in Marathon Match
Pegula delivered a career-high 16 aces during the two-hour and 45-minute contest, while Wimbledon champion Noskova struggled with a career-high 15 double faults. Reflecting on her performance, Pegula explained that managing her serve remains a constant learning process regardless of how it feels on any given day. With group play concluded, Noskova, Gauff, and Pegula all finished with 2-1 records, allowing Noskova to top the group on set differential ahead of Pegula.
The result sets up a semi-final clash on Saturday between Pegula and Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. Anticipating the matchup, Pegula acknowledged the high interest surrounding the fixture. The encounter follows an earlier controversy when a practice session livestream captured Pegula calling Andreeva “a diva” who “needs to be humbled,” though she also praised the teenager’s ability and subsequently issued an apology.
Gauff Defeats Kostyuk in Final Match
Earlier in the day, Gauff secured a 6-4, 7-5 victory against alternate Marta Kostyuk on Stadium Two under sunny California desert skies. After claiming the opening set, Gauff fought back from a 5-1 deficit in the second set by claiming six games in a row, despite receiving treatment on her back during the set. Gauff noted that she simply wanted to finish the final tournament of the season positively and give herself a chance to reach the semi-finals.
Kostyuk entered the eight-player tournament as an alternate following the withdrawal of world number one Elena Rybakina due to illness. Having already suffered losses to Noskova and Pegula, Kostyuk finished her tournament campaign with an 0-3 record while battling a wrist injury.
