Swiatek overwhelms Gauff to move to 2-0 at WTA Finals

CANCUN, Mexico -- Iga Swiatek sure looks like someone intent on regaining her No.1 ranking. On Wednesday, she defeated Coco Gauff 6-0, 7-5 at the GNP Seguro WTA Finals.

Swiatek is now 2-0 here, but has not officially qualified for the semfinals after Ons Jabeur beat Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets.

“In the second set, obviously, it got more tight,” Swiatek told reporters afterward. “I was happy I stayed focused. I had plenty of chances in her first service games to break back, but I knew somehow I would use one of those chances.”

Swiatek, now 2-0 here, is now in an excellent position to win the Chetumal Group and advance to the semifinals, pending the result of the later match. Gauff, meanwhile, will likely have to defeat Vondrousova on Friday to have a chance to lock down the second spot in the group.

Swiatek beat Gauff for the ninth time in 10 meetings, all of which have come in straight sets. Their rivalry has some historic relevance. It’s only the fourth time competitors have played 10 or more times this century, and look at the quality of their predecessors: Kim Clijsters-Justine Henin, Agnieszka Radwanska-Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki-Dominika Cibulkova.

WTA Finals: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Gauff ended a 0-for-7 streak against Swiatek in the Cincinnati semifinals, but their past two matches have been one-sided. Gauff, 19, has been scorching hot since August, going back to her title in Washington, D.C., producing a record of 23-3. Two of those losses came to the World No.2.

The first set was a disaster for Gauff, who seemed unnerved by the breezy conditions on Estadio Paradisus. Swiatek, attacking Gauff’s sometimes faulty forehand, calibrated her shots far better in the wind. Gauff grew increasingly frustrated, bouncing her racquet off the court and throwing up her hands after another errant forehand.

Gauff won four of 16 serve points in that first frame and was broken all three times. After a scant 28 minutes, she was down a set.

It was, incredibly, the fifth 6-0 set of the tournament’s first seven singles matches.

The second set was an impressive reset for the teenager. She crafted two break points, converted one and raced out to a 3-1 lead. That was when both players started playing some of their best tennis.

Throughout the match, Swiatek targeted Gauff's forehand, which she hit an average of 6 mph slower than her backhand. 

In all, there were five breaks in the second set. Serving for the set, Gauff stroked four consecutive double faults. The last break came when Swiatek broke Gauff for the third straight time when an overhead found the net on match point. 

Statistically, Gauff struggled, serving 10 times -- with six breaks by Swiatek. The American finished with only five winners, against 30 unforced errors. Swiatek was 11 and 23 and was broken only once.

“I would say this match wasn’t consistent, in terms of the level," Swiatek said. “So for sure, adjusting to everything that happened was the most important thing. It took me a while because I was a break down in the second set.

“I’m happy that I could actually problem solve a little the way to win these last games. And the key was, maybe being confident and mentally not focusing on the score, but really just sticking with the plan that worked in the first set.”

It was a tough day at the office for Gauff, who took a second loss on the night after No.4 seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova came back to defeat Gauff and Jessica Pegula 3-6, 7-5, [10-6] in doubles. The loss dropped the top-seeded Americans to 0-2 in the Mahahual Group. Krejcikova and Siniakova improved to 1-1.

With US Open champions Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe securing their advancement out of the group, three teams will battle it out for the second qualifying spot on Friday. Krejcikova and Siniakova will face Dabrowski and Routliffe. Gauff and Pegula will play Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva.