INDIAN WELLS, California (The Thursday Times) — Jessica Pegula saved a match point and hit a career-high 16 aces to beat Linda Noskova 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-5 at the WTA Finals on Thursday night, reaching the semi-finals and knocking out her compatriot Coco Gauff.
Noskova, the Wimbledon champion, had already secured her place in the last four and broke early in the deciding set. She led 5-4 and held a match point on Pegula’s serve, but the American saved it, levelled at 5-5 with an ace, and broke in the next game. The 2 hour 46 minute match ended when a net cord fell on Noskova’s side of the court.
Pegula’s previous best was 14 aces, also against Noskova, in the Berlin final this year. The Czech hit 15 double faults.
“Even with 16 aces, it just goes to show how good of a player she is because I was still barely able to win the match,” Pegula said. Noskova said it had been “a battle ’til the end, as I expected”.
Gauff out despite comeback
Noskova, Pegula, and Gauff all finished Group 1 with two wins and one defeat. Noskova topped the group on the percentage of sets won, ahead of Pegula, and Gauff, the 2024 champion, went out.
Earlier on Thursday, Gauff had fought through treatment on her lower back and recovered from 5-1 down in the second set to beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5, winning the last six games. It turned out to be her final match of the season.
Andreeva next
Pegula will face Mirra Andreeva, who routed Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the week, in Saturday’s semi-finals. It will be their first meeting since private comments Pegula made to her coach about the Russian during a practice session were live-streamed before the tournament, for which the WTA’s chair apologised to Pegula.
“It’s the match people wanted, well now you are going to get it,” Pegula told reporters.
Noskova will play the runner-up of Group 2, which will be decided on Friday between Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina. The $10 million season finale was moved to Indian Wells from Saudi Arabia because of the war with Iran.
