Jessica Pegula withdraws from WTA Finals citing a knee injury, replacement named
Jessica Pegula will be replaced by World No.9 Daria Kasatkina, who will face Iga Swiatek in the last group stage match.
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Jessica Pegula (via BBC)
Jessica Pegula has been forced to withdraw from the WTA Finals due to injury. As a result, Daria Kasatkina, ranked No. 9 in the world, will replace her in the tournament. Kasatkina will face Iga Swiatek in the final group-stage match on Thursday.
Swiatek is aiming to bounce back after a tough straight-set loss to Coco Gauff, which left her with a 1-1 record in the Orange Group. A win over Kasatkina, combined with a Gauff victory over Barbora Krejcikova, would secure Swiatek’s place in the semifinals. This would mark her third consecutive appearance in the WTA Finals semis, where she would meet World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Just been kind of struggling with a little bit of an injury. and for whatever reason, it kind of really flared up this week. Not really sure why. In the few days before practice, it felt really, really good, but it started creeping up right before my first match, and just feel like I’m not feeling comfortable moving on court.
Jessica Pegula said on the WTA website
If Swiatek does not win, she will be eliminated from the tournament. This would allow Krejcikova and Gauff to progress to the final four. Swiatek has already lost any chance of keeping her World No. 1 ranking for the year after the defeat to Gauff.
With that loss, Swiatek’s hopes of retaining her top spot are over. Now, her focus is solely on making the semifinals and salvaging her chances in the WTA Finals.
How Jessica Pegula qualified for the WTA Finals?
Jessica Pegula‘s chances of making the WTA Finals seemed slim after a tough grasscourt season. Despite winning in Berlin, she suffered early losses in Eastbourne and Wimbledon, making it to just the second round in both.
Her Grand Slam results were also underwhelming. Pegula lost in the second round at the Australian Open and had to pull out of the French Open due to back and neck issues. However, she bounced back in the second half of the season. Pegula won titles in Berlin and Toronto, reached the final in Cincinnati, and made her first Grand Slam final at the US Open.
In Riyadh, Pegula struggled, losing in straight sets to both Coco Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova. She finished the tournament with a disappointing 0-2 record.
Earlier this week, Pegula also withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga, Spain. This decision came after her recent struggles on the court.
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Fahad Hamid
(624 Articles Published)