Linda Noskova bests Gauff to reach WTA Finals semis, Americans battle for second spot

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Linda Noskova became the first to qualify for the semifinal round of the 2026 WTA Finals, defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 15 minutes on Tuesday.

“Coco’s a big competitor, so I was ready for everything to come my way today,” said Noskova, the No. 8 seed. “I feel like I held myself through a lot of tough situations.”

Noskova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, posted a straight-sets victory to guarantee her advancement out of round-robin play. The remaining Group 1 berth will come down to Gauff or Jessica Pegula, who eliminated Marta Kostyuk from contention on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Noskova is making her WTA Finals debut after winning her first Grand Slam title in July. She followed up her Sunday win over Kostyuk with a strong performance against Gauff, who narrowly defeated Pegula in her first round-robin match.

The youngest woman to make five consecutive WTA Finals since Martina Hingis (1996-2000), the 22-year-old Gauff fell behind by a double-break in the first set and was unable to keep up with Noskova’s consistent play.

Noskova won five games in a row to earn a set and 3-0 lead and struck her ninth ace on match point.

Pegula, who finished runner-up at the WTA Finals in 2023, kept hopes of a semifinal return alive by defeating Kostyuk after two losses to the Ukrainian this season. Kostyuk was a late alternate to the eight-woman field following World No. 1 Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal due to a viral illness.

Despite having no chance to advance to the semifinals, Kostyuk will play Gauff on Thursday for the opportunity to avoid an 0-3 round-robin record and to earn an additional $230,000 in prize money. The final Group 1 standings will be determined by Thursday’s results.

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