WTA

Kudermetova sees off Gauff to set up Swiatek semi in Doha

By Sports Desk February 16, 2023

Iga Swiatek will play Veronika Kudermetova in the Qatar Open semi-finals after the Russian defeated Coco Gauff in the last eight.

World number one Swiatek was already assured of her semi-final place heading into Thursday as Belinda Bencic's withdrawal had granted her a walkover.

She could watch on then as Kudermetova upset fourth seed Gauff 6-3 3-6 6-1 in Doha.

Swiatek has won each of her previous two matches against Kudermetova in straight sets, but the world number 11 will be on a high after her first top-10 win of the season.

It will be the 25-year-old's second semi of the season, although she withdrew from her Adelaide 2 match-up against Bencic.

While Gauff is out, there remains American representation as her doubles partner Jessica Pegula made light work of Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3 6-2.

Pegula, the second seed, will face Greece's Maria Sakkari, who overcame third favourite Carolina Garcia 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) in a battling encounter.

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  • WTA Finals: Sabalenka, Swiatek and the battle for number one WTA Finals: Sabalenka, Swiatek and the battle for number one

    Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are once again embroiled in a tussle for the year-end number one spot in the WTA rankings.

    Last year, Swiatek finished as the year-end number one, with a flawless display at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun seeing her top Sabalenka, who had been in pole position.

    Sabalenka will be out to avoid a similar fate this time around, with the WTA Finals moving to Riyadh.

    Here, we preview the key storylines ahead of the tournament.

    Sabalenka and Swiatek go head-to-head... again

    It has been a fantastic season for both of these players, who have proved their credentials as the standout duo on the WTA Tour.

    Sabalenka has scooped two grand slam titles, triumphing at the Australian Open and the US Open.

    Swiatek, meanwhile, won the French Open and collected bronze at Roland-Garros at the Paris Olympics. Between them, the pair have won nine Tour-level titles in 2024.

    Sabalenka will guarantee her place at the top of the world heading into 2025 should she win her three group-stage matches in Riyadh.

    The Belarusian takes on Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, world number five Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, this year's Wimbledon and French Open runner-up, in her group.

    Sabalenka is the first player to make successive WTA Finals appearances as the number one since Serena Williams in 2013 and 2014.

    The 26-year-old has reeled off 46 match wins across grand slams and WTA 1000 events this year, which is one more than Swiatek (45).

     

    Swiatek, on the other hand, has Coco Gauff, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova to contend with.

    Since the reintroduction of the round-robin format in 2003, Swiatek has conceded the fewest games of any player to win the WTA Finals, dropping only 20 games en route to the title last year - breaking Williams' record of 32 from 2012.

    Swiatek downed Pegula in last year's final, and dropped just a single game. That made her the player to concede the fewest games in a WTA Finals title match. Martina Navratilova (1983) and Kim Clijsters (2003) previously shared the record, conceding two games in respective finals.

    She is also one of only two players, along with Williams, to win the tournament without dropping a set since the tournament's format was altered 21 years ago.

    Swiatek could become the first player to win the WTA Finals on consecutive occasions as the second seed. Among this year's qualifiers, the 23-year-old (75%, 9-3) holds the highest winning percentage at the WTA Finals.

    Since 2003, the Pole is, however, the only top seed to win all three group matches and not reach the final at that year's WTA Finals, losing to Sabalenka in their semi-final in 2022.

    The key insights for the other contenders

    Since 2003, Gauff (2022-2024) is only the second player to reach three consecutive editions of the WTA Finals before turning 21, after Maria Sharapova (2004-2007). 

    Gauff is aiming to become the fourth American to win the WTA Finals before turning 21 after Chris Evert (1972, 1973 and 1975), Tracy Austin (1980) and Williams (2001).

    Paolini has had a fine year, and will become only the fourth Italian to appear at the WTA Finals after Francesca Schiavone (2010), Sara Errani (2012, 2013) and Flavia Pennetta (2015).

     

    At the age of 28 years and 303 days, she will become the second-oldest player to make their maiden WTA Finals appearance as a top-five ranked player, after Li Na (29 years and 241 days) in 2011 – since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975. Paolini (18) won the joint-most matches at grand slam events in 2024, along with Sabalenka. 

    Meanwhile, only Swiatek (five) and Sabalenka (four) have won more WTA-level titles in 2024 than Rybakina (three).

    At the age of 30 years and 258 days on the day of the final, Pegula could become the oldest maiden-winner of the WTA Finals since the event’s inauguration in 1972, surpassing Jana Novotna (29 years and 52 days) in 1997.

    In Cancun last year, Pegula became the first player to face the WTA's top four players at a single event, since the rankings were first published in 1975.

    Since the event's inauguration in 1972, Zheng will become only the second player from China to appear at the WTA Finals after Li Na (2011-2013).

    Excluding alternates, Krejcikova (13) will be the first player ranked outside the WTA's top 10 to appear at the WTA Finals since Vera Zvonareva (11) in 2004.

  • Teenage dream realised for Zheng in Tokyo Teenage dream realised for Zheng in Tokyo

    Zheng Qinwen was delighted to atone for her 2022 Tokyo Open final defeat as she overcame Sofia Kenin to capture the title on Sunday.

    Zheng won her third WTA title of the year by beating wild-card entrant Kenin 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes in the Japanese capital.

    The Chinese number one, who won gold at the Paris Olympic Games and successfully defended her Palermo title during the clay-court season, was featuring in her second Tokyo final after finishing as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova two years ago.

    Speaking after her victory, Zheng said: "I really appreciate that I'm able to fight through and be the champion in Tokyo. 

    "This is the one I wanted to get when I was 19 years old. I fought so hard, but I didn't, I lost in the final. So this year, I'm just really happy."

    Zheng will now look to continue her momentum when she makes her WTA Finals debut in Riyadh next week, but she knows the competition in Saudi Arabia will be fierce. 

    "All the players are really tough to beat," Zheng said. "From the first match, I'll need to be focused. It's the first time for me in the WTA Finals. I am so motivated but let’s see what's going to happen."

    Data Debrief: Zheng flying in Asia

    Zheng now boasts a 28-4 record since the end of Wimbledon, and her form through the Asian Swing has been nothing short of magnificent.

    She went 12-2 through the Asian events, and her career win-loss record in Tokyo now stands at 8-1.

  • Raducanu 'doing what she can' to be fit for Billie Jean Cup Raducanu 'doing what she can' to be fit for Billie Jean Cup

    Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open due to a foot injury as she races to be fit for the Billie Jean King Cup next month. 

    Raducanu has not played since retiring midway through her quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina in the Korea Open last month.

    The Briton revealed she had sprained ligaments in her foot and has subsequently missed four tournaments, including the China and Wuhan Open. 

    Raducanu was targeting a return at next week's WTA 250 event in Hong Kong, but has pulled out of the event after confirming she would not be fit to feature.

    "I'm sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week. Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit," she wrote on X.

    "I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC [Billie Jean King Cup]."

    But the world number 55's latest withdrawal has raised concerns about her chances of competing for Great Britain at the Billie Jean Cup. 

    Raducanu is in Great Britain's squad of five players for the competition, joining Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls. 

    Anne Keothavong's side take on Germany on November 15 in Spain, though Raducanu faces an uphill battle to be fit. 

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