Day 1 of the FAGE WTA Finals started with a surprising match what wasn't originally on the docket.
Marta Kostyuk, replacing the ill Elena Rybakina, got the call on one day's notice. Making her WTA Finals debut, she squared off against Linda Noskova, also making her first Finals appearance. The Wimbledon champion got off to a strong start in the desert, adjusting well to the change in opponent with a 6-2, 6-4 win.
That match was straightforward, but the second singles match was anything but. In a battle between the lone two Americans in the field, both of whom are making their fifth Finals appearances, Coco Gauff outlasted Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2.
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Now things get really interesting. Noskova and Gauff have a chance to advance to the semifinals on Tuesday, and Pegula and Kostyuk will fight to stave off elimination.
Here's everything you need to know about Day 3 at the WTA Finals.
Tuesday's order of play
12 p.m.: [9] Marta Kostyuk vs. [5] Jessica Pegula
Followed by: [4] Coco Gauff vs. [8] Linda Noskova
Followed by: [2] Katerina Siniakova/Taylor Townsend vs. [6] Ellen Perez/Demi Schuurs
Followed by: [4] Cristina Bucsa/Nicole Melichar-Martinez vs. [8] Sara Errani/Jasmine Paolini
The advancement scenarios
Tuesday's matches could send some players to the semifinals, and others to elimination. This is what's at stake in Singles Group 1 and Doubles Group 2.
- Noskova will advance to the semifinals if she beats Gauff in straight sets, with her position in the group to be decided. If both Noskova and Kostyuk win, Noskova will advance as the group winner and Pegula will be eliminated. In that scenario, Kostyuk and Gauff would play for the second spot on Thursday.
- If Gauff and Pegula win, Gauff will advance as the group winner and Kostyuk will be eliminated. Noskova and Pegula would then play for the second spot on Thursday. If Kostyuk loses to Pegula in straight sets, she's eliminated.
- Bucsa/Melichar-Martinez will advance if they win in straight sets, with their position in the group to be decided. If both Bucsa/Melichar-Martinez and Perez/Schuurs win, Bucsa/Melichar-Martinez will advance as the group winners, eliminating Siniakova/Townsend. In that scenario, Perez/Schuurs and Errani/Paolini would play for the second spot on Thursday.
- If both Errani/Paolini and Siniakova/Townsend win, Errani/Paolini will advance as the group winners, eliminating Perez/Schuurs. In that scenario, Bucsa/Melichar-Martinez and Siniakova/Townsend would play for the second spot on Thursday. If Perez/Schuurs lose to Siniakova/Townsend in straight sets, they're eliminated.
A closer look at the singles matches
[9] Marta Kostyuk vs. [5] Jessica Pegula
Pegula leads the head-to-head 4-3
Both Pegula and Kostyuk desperately need a win on Tuesday to remain in contention. If Kostyuk loses in straights, she's out. If Kostyuk wins and Noskova beats Gauff, Pegula is eliminated.
Kostyuk has now lost five straight matches (including a retirement in Ningbo), a Townsend walkover in Guadalajara notwithstanding. She has been dealing with a right wrist injury since the Hard-Court Swing, and told reporters that she was in pain every day for three months. That pain has only recently subsided, she said, but she's short on practice and reps. And she hadn't expected to play this week.
Pegula hasn't had those health issues, and has had ample time to prepare. But the day of rest is welcome after a grueling three-setter against Gauff. Pegula led 5-1 in the second set but dropped the next five games, saving a match point and eventually taking the set in a tiebreaker. That marathon set expended her energy for the decider, which Gauff won.
Kostyuk has won both of their WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz meetings this year in straight sets, first in Brisbane and then in Madrid.
[4] Coco Gauff vs. [8] Linda Noskova
Gauff leads the head-to-head 2-1
Gauff and Noskova, both coming off opening-day wins, have clear paths to the semifinals. Noskova will get there with a straight-sets win, or a three-set win paired with a Kostyuk victory. If Gauff wins and Pegula beats Kostyuk, she'll book her spot. Regardless of the outcome, the loser will still have another opportunity on Thursday.
Noskova was rock solid on Sunday, winning points quickly and wrapping up the first set in just over a half hour. She was pushed a bit more in the second, but after breaking for 4-2 she didn't drop another service game.
Gauff had to work significantly harder to get in the win column. She spent more than an hour longer on court, losing a match point and a tiebreaker in the second set before rebounding beautifully in the third. Her elite endurance, athleticism and mental toughness were front and center in the win.
Noskova and Gauff played once this year, on clay in Madrid, and it was a classic. After letting a lead slip away, Noskova came up clutch in the third-set tiebreaker for a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (5) win. They haven't played on hard courts in three years.
