Gauff saves three set points to beat Kostyuk and keep WTA Finals hopes alive
World number four Coco Gauff beat Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5 in the round-robin stage of the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California, on Thursday, keeping her hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the elite season-ending event alive.
Her place in the last four is not entirely in her own hands, however. If fifth-ranked compatriot Jessica Pegula beats Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in Thursday's final group match, Pegula will advance instead. Noskova has already qualified for the semi-finals.
The most dramatic moment came in the second set. Trailing 5-1, Gauff saved three set points in the seventh game, then won six straight games to take the set and the match.
The first set had also been a battle. Broken in the opening game, Gauff broke Kostyuk for a second time to lead 4-2 and then held serve to move ahead 5-2.
Kostyuk then took a medical timeout for treatment on her right wrist. After having the wrist taped, she returned to hold serve and then broke Gauff as the American served for the set, helped by a pair of double faults from Gauff.
Gauff regrouped to take the first set, but was soon struggling again. She went down two breaks to trail 3-0 in the second set and received treatment for what she later described as back tightness.
Despite nine double faults, Gauff prevailed in one hour and 39 minutes.
“I'm not going to lie, my head was already in that third set,” Gauff said of her mindset when trailing 5-1. “Then once it got to 5-4 I was like, ‘OK, I can win this set.’ I got a little bit lucky. She gave me a few errors. I'm glad I was able to close that out.”
