“`html
Aryna Sabalenka’s latest victory marks her as the first player since Serena Williams in 2013 (66) to secure over 60 WTA-level wins in a season while holding the world number one ranking.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka showcased resilience in her win against Jessica Pegula, moving closer to the WTA Finals knockout stage. Coco Gauff also secured a victory, keeping her hopes of defending her title alive.
US Open champion Sabalenka clinched consecutive wins in Riyadh, defeating American fifth seed Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. However, she needed a straight-set victory to guarantee progression from the Stefanie Graf Group.
Instead, Sabalenka is now set to face world number three Gauff in a decisive final round on Thursday, with both players vying for a semi-final berth.
“Jessica Pegula played incredible tennis, particularly in the second set,” Sabalenka told Sky Sports. “When I went a break down in the third, I told myself I had to play more aggressively.”
“I felt sorry, but at the same time I was so happy that I was able to find that beast mode inside of me and go after my shots and play unbelievable.”
Earlier, Gauff kept her campaign alive by eliminating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory.
After struggling with 17 double faults and 75 unforced errors in her initial loss to Pegula, the 21-year-old demonstrated her title credentials with an assured performance.
The top eight women’s players in both singles and doubles are competing in Saudi Arabia for a share of the £12m ($15.5m) prize pool.
Elena Rybakina previously secured her spot in the knockout stages after defeating world number two Iga Swiatek in the Serena Williams Group on Monday.
Sabalenka to face Kyrgios in ‘Battle of Sexes’
‘I’m always looking ahead’ – Mboko eyes bright future
Alcaraz and Anisimova to return to Queen’s in 2026
In a closely contested match, Sabalenka broke Pegula’s early resistance by converting her fourth break point for a 4-2 lead in the first set.
The Belarusian then overcame the setback of being broken back after missing a first set point, eventually seizing her fifth opportunity to close out the set on her opponent’s serve.
However, Pegula, knowing that a victory would secure her passage to the semi-finals, took control of the second set. She consolidated an early break by saving two break points for a 3-1 lead.
Sabalenka then conceded another break with a double fault, losing a third service game in five. Pegula subsequently fought back from two break points down to level the match.
An unsettled Sabalenka was punished for missing her first opportunity of the final set when Pegula clinched her fourth break point to edge ahead, but the four-time major winner responded in an enthralling decider.
That proved crucial as Sabalenka embarked on a four-game streak. Unlike at the Wuhan Open in October, she would not allow Pegula to mount a late comeback, sealing victory with a superb forehand winner.
Sabalenka’s coach, Anton Dubrov, left his seat midway through the match after his player became visibly frustrated.
“Maybe he did the right move because he really upset me and that’s why I was able to pull out something else because I was so stressed,” said Sabalenka.
Coco Gauff is the youngest player to record 10 wins against top-10 ranked players in a single season since Iga Swiatek in 2022.
Following her uneven performance against Pegula, French Open champion Gauff rebounded impressively, re-establishing herself as a title contender with a solid display.
She reduced her double faults to just three and halved her total unforced errors (30), with her more consistent serving providing a significant confidence boost ahead of her match against Sabalenka.
Composed and confident from the baseline, Gauff appeared largely in control after seizing the initiative in the opening set.
After breaking world number eight Paolini at the first opportunity, Gauff withstood three break points to establish a commanding 3-0 lead. She then struck back immediately when the Italian offered a response, before serving out the set.
With 29-year-old Paolini’s resistance waning, Gauff converted the first break point of the second set following a superb forehand winner, before sealing victory with a dominant five-game streak.
“I’m really happy with how I played today, it was definitely a turnaround from my first match,” said Gauff.
“It’s the beauty of this tournament that you have another chance to prove yourself.”
In the doubles competition, second seeds Taylor Townsend and Katarina Siniakova secured their progression as winners of the Liezel Huber Group.
The American-Czech pair defeated third seeds Erin Routliffe of New Zealand and Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
Their qualification for the semi-finals was subsequently confirmed when Brazil’s Timea Babos and Hungarian Luisa Stefani beat Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 7-5, 2-6, 10-7.
That defeat eliminated Andreeva and Shnaider.
Live scores, results and order of play
Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
“`