Gauff survives 17 double-faults to join Swiatek, Sabalenka in WTA SF - ESPN

CANCUN, Mexico — Coco Gauff overcame 17 double-faults and came back after being a game away from elimination at the WTA Finals on Friday, eventually moving into the semifinals after pulling out a 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in a round-robin match.

«Mental toughness is the biggest thing I'm pleased with,» Gauff said. «That was a tough match. She's not an easy player. Not easy conditions. And I stayed in there, every point, just fighting.»

She will face her good friend — and doubles partner — Jessica Pegula on Saturday in an all-American match with a berth in the final at stake. The other semifinal at the season-ending championship will feature No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against the woman she replaced atop the rankings in September, No. 2 Iga Swiatek. The year-end No. 1 spot is on the line in Cancun, with Swiatek needing to grab the title in order to replace Sabalenka.

Gauff, the 19-year-old from Florida who won the U.S. Open in September, finished 2-1 in round-robin action. Four-time major champion Swiatek won their group by going 3-0, including a 6-1, 6-2 win against Ons Jabeur in windy and rainy conditions on Friday.

Sabalenka reached the semifinals for the second consecutive year, holding on to beat Elena Rybakina 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday in a contest repeatedly interrupted by showers the night before. That made Sabalenka 2-1 and allowed her to finish second in the other round-robin group, behind the unbeaten Pegula.

Gauff dropped four consecutive games and 16 of 21 points to go from leading the opening set to dropping it and trailing 1-0 in the next. There was a 25-minute rain delay early in the second set; perhaps that helped Gauff regroup a bit.

Still, Vondrousova managed to get