Gauff bests Pegula in thrilling clash, Noskova beats Kostyuk in WTA Finals

NEW YORK: Coco Gauff survived a tough test from Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 on the first day of round-robin play at the WTA Finals on Sunday, as Czech Linda Noskova cruised past Marta Kostyuk 6-2 6-4 in Indian Wells.

Gauff beat Pegula just three months ago in Cincinnati and had the right formula again, as the 2024 winner showed superb versatility in a clash between the top two Americans in the season-ending championship.

The frequent rivals were 5-5 in head-to-head before Sunday and appeared perfectly matched through a tight opening set, where Gauff got the break from the baseline on the fourth set point.