Sportsupdated 21m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 15 July 2015Linda Nosková Beats Coco Gauff To Qualify for WTA Finals Semifinals
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Nosková beat Gauff 6-3, 6-3 to become first player in WTA Finals semifinals. She broke Gauff's serve four times in the first set.
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24 outlets in this story. Read their headlines below.
Nosková qualifies first
Linda Nosková became the first player to qualify for the semifinals of the 2026 WTA Finals by defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 15 minutes at Indian Wells, California on Tuesday. Nosková, the eighth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion, secured the straight-sets win to guarantee her advancement out of round-robin play. Nosková won five straight games to take a set and lead 3-0, and she struck her ninth ace on the match point.
Coco Gauff, the fourth-ranked player in the match, fell behind with a double break in the first set and could not keep up with Nosková’s consistent play. Jessica Pegula kept the remaining Group 1 berth in play by defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 7-5 on Tuesday, setting up a final Group 1 decision between Gauff and Pegula.
Quotes and match details
Nosková said, "Coco is a great competitor, so I was prepared for anything that came my way today," as she described staying steady through difficult situations. Nosková also said, "I felt I managed to stay steady in many difficult situations," after winning in straight sets to reach the next round. Gauff’s serving struggled in the match, and the Japan Times reported that Nosková took advantage of a shaky serving performance by Gauff to claim the 6-3, 6-3 victory.
The Guardian described the match as marked by inconsistent serving from both players, with Nosková building a 3-0 lead in the second set before holding serve to seal the win with an ace. Pegula, after her 6-2, 7-5 win over Kostyuk, said, "Once I got off to a good start today, I definitely didn’t want to give away that second set."
Group 1 stakes and next
The final Group 1 standings will be determined by Thursday’s results, with the last spot in the semifinals set to be decided between Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
“The final Group 1 standings will be determined by Thursday’s results.”
The matchups set the stakes for Thursday, with Nosková facing Pegula and Gauff facing Kostyuk, after Kostyuk was eliminated from semi-final contention.
Kostyuk entered the eight-player main draw as a substitute following the withdrawal of world No. 1 Elena Rybakina due to a viral illness.
Kostyuk, despite having no chance to advance, will play Gauff on Thursday for the opportunity to avoid an 0-3 record in the group stage and to earn an additional $230,000 in prize money.
The Guardian reported that Pegula takes on Noskova in the other final Group 1 match, while Gauff will have another chance to qualify when she faces Kostyuk on Thursday.
