Noskova beats Gauff to reach WTA Finals semi-finals as Pegula eliminates Kostyuk

Linda Noskova beat Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in Group 1 of the WTA Finals and secured a place in the semi-finals. She sealed the win with an ace. According to BBC Sport, she is the first player to reach the last four.

Noskova is the reigning Wimbledon champion and is making her debut at the tournament. She beat Marta Kostyuk in her opening group match. According to The Guardian, she has won both matches without dropping a set.

In the other Group 1 match, Jessica Pegula beat Kostyuk 6-2, 7-5. The result eliminated Kostyuk from semi-final contention. Gauff had beaten Pegula in their opening match. Both can still qualify, and they are competing for the last Group 1 semi-final place.

According to The Guardian, both matches were played on Tuesday, and Gauff and Pegula each have a 1-1 record. The Guardian reports that the final Group 1 matches are on Thursday: Gauff against Kostyuk, and Pegula against Noskova. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not set out the qualification scenarios or tie-break criteria.

How the matches unfolded

According to The Guardian, Noskova and Gauff exchanged breaks at the start of the first set. Noskova then led 3-0 in the second set and held serve for the rest of it. BBC Sport reported that Noskova made only one unforced error in the second set. Gauff hit eight aces and eight double faults and won six of 24 points on her second serve, according to BBC Sport. The BBC lists Noskova, 21, as world No 8 and Gauff as world No 4. It describes the win as Noskova's sixth over a top-10 player this season.

Pegula took the opening set as Kostyuk made 17 unforced errors. Pegula went a break up early in the second set, after which several breaks were exchanged. BBC Sport reported seven breaks in the match, with Pegula breaking at 5-5 before serving it out. According to the BBC, it was Pegula's first win since September.

Kostyuk entered as a replacement after world No 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew. The Guardian attributes the withdrawal to a viral illness. BBC Sport does not state a reason. According to the BBC, Kostyuk learned on Saturday that she would play and has had a wrist injury since August. The reports do not describe the injury's current state.

What is disputed

BBC Sport says Pegula made five first-set unforced errors. The Guardian says three. The BBC says Noskova broke Gauff four times in the first set. The Guardian's account indicates three breaks.

What each side says

BBC Sport quoted Noskova as saying: "I feel like I stayed in the match through every moment, from beginning to end." She joked that crowd support "was a little weaker in the match".

The Guardian quoted Pegula as saying she "definitely didn't want to give away that second set", partly because she lost her first match.

Kostyuk said Pegula was "changing pace a lot, and I would struggle sometimes", according to The Guardian. She added: "Next time, maybe I'll be more ready."

The reports do not include any comment from Gauff.

Analysis

Noskova's place in the semi-finals appears settled, so attention in Group 1 shifts to Gauff and Pegula. Each faces a different opponent on Thursday, according to The Guardian: Gauff plays the eliminated Kostyuk, while Pegula meets the unbeaten Noskova. Because the reports do not explain the tie-break rules, it is unclear which results would be decisive. Outcomes could depend on set or game counts as well as wins. Kostyuk's late entry and reported wrist injury are relevant context. The reports reviewed do not show whether either affected her results.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.