Pegula wins thriller at WTA Finals, Gauff eliminated

Jessica Pegula saved a ​match point en route to a gritty 7-6(2) 4-6 7-5 win over Linda Noskova on Thursday to ‌advance out of her round-robin group at the WTA Finals and send fellow American Coco Gauff packing from the season-ending championships.

Pegula had a career-high 16 aces while Wimbledon champion Noskova had a career-high 15 double faults in a see-saw battle that spanned 2 hours and 45 minutes at ​the tournament, which was moved from Riyadh to Indian Wells due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

"I've learned ​that sometimes the serve feels good and sometimes it doesn't, and how to manage the days ⁠when it doesn't and to ride it when you are serving well," Pegula told reporters.

"I don't think I served that ​well in my first couple matches and I served great today. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason."

In the end, Noskova, ​Gauff and Pegula all finished 2-1 in the group while alternate Marta Kostyuk went 0-3.

Noskova went 5-2 in sets to win the group, followed by Pegula at 5-3 and Gauff at 4-3.

The win sets up a first meeting between Pegula and Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals ​on Saturday.

"It's the match people wanted, well now you are going to get it," said Pegula. She had earlier called Andreeva "a diva" ​who "needs to be humbled," but didn't realise that her remarks were being livestreamed during a practice session before the tournament. In the same ‌comments ⁠Pegula also praised the world number three, and she apologised afterward to those involved.

"She's fast, she has a great serve, she's strong, she hits the ball pretty hard and she's smart," Pegula said on Thursday.

"I'm going to do my best."