Sabalenka tops Graf Group and faces Anisimova in WTA Finals semis

World number one Aryna Sabalenka eliminated defending champion Coco Gauff from the WTA Finals on Thursday, beating the American 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the final round-robin match of the Steffi Graf Group in Riyadh. The win secured Sabalenka top spot in the group and a semifinal meeting with Amanda Anisimova on Friday, while Jessica Pegula advanced to the other semifinal after beating Jasmine Paolini.

Sabalenka built momentum late in a tight opening set, recovering from a 5-4 deficit and winning the tiebreak after Gauff double-faulted at a key moment. Sabalenka then broke early in the second set, added further breaks to run to a 4-0 lead and served out the match in the eighth game. The 27-year-old said after the match that she had been "working for the second set" and that a break gave her confidence to raise her level. Gauff acknowledged she had chances, saying she had "a lot of chances in the first set" and was "a bit disappointed not to get that one."

Sabalenka’s victory completed a perfect group phase for the top seed, who also beat Jasmine Paolini and Jessica Pegula to finish 3-0. Tournament statistics show the win marked Sabalenka’s 54th victory over a top-10 opponent since her...