The five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek missed the semi-finals at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
After the 6:1, 6:0 against the Russian Darja Kassatkina, the 23-year-old defending champion from Poland needed help from the American Coco Gauff, but she lost to the Czech Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 5:7, 4:6. This means Gauff and Krejcikova are further along.
With a clean win over the previously unbeaten Gauff, Krejcikova even finished first in Group B. In the semifinals on Friday, she will avoid a duel with world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who won Group A, and will instead face Chinese Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. Sabalenka plays against Gauff for the second final ticket, the final takes place on Saturday.
Sabalenka can no longer be pushed out of first place
Swiatek had only given up her place at the top of the world rankings to Sabalenka around two and a half weeks ago, and now she missed a successful finish at the WTA Finals. It was already clear after her defeat in the second game of the tournament for the eight best players of the year against Gauff that she would not regain first place this year.
