Krejcikova eliminates Pegula from WTA Finals semi-finals race

Barbora Krejcikova dashed Jessica Pegula’s hopes of advancing to the semi-finals at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, securing a decisive 6-3, 6-3 win over the American on Tuesday. Pegula, seeded sixth and a finalist at last year’s event, suffered her second straight-set defeat of the week and now sits at the bottom of the Orange Group without a set won. She faces Iga Swiatek in her final round-robin match on Thursday.

Eighth-seeded Krejcikova, who fell to Swiatek in her opening match, kept her own semi-final aspirations alive with this victory. “I was fighting for every ball and I felt that I really have to play my best tennis,” Krejcikova said. “I’m definitely proud…Winning Wimbledon was indescribable, and being here in the Finals is a huge privilege.”

Though ranked 13th in the world, Krejcikova qualified for the Finals thanks to a new WTA rule that awards a Finals spot to any Grand Slam champion within the top 20. She claimed the last qualifying position over world No. 8 Emma Navarro as the reigning Wimbledon champion.

The Czech star controlled Tuesday’s match with 11 aces and four breaks, sealing the win in just 69 minutes.

(Source: AFP)