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This year's WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, faced lots of troubles. The rain caused several delays and even stopped a few matches. The tournament has been marred by a series of logistical mishaps and poor playing conditions, leaving the players frustrated and mentally drained. ATP star Denis Shapovalov weighed in on the situation, saying that the WTA players "deserve better."
One of the critical issues has been the lack of adequate practice courts, forcing players to alter their training plans and disrupting their preparations for matches. The issue was highlighted when it was reported that Iga Swiatek had to practice on hotel courts as the newly-built stadium was unfinished till a couple of days before the first match.
Rain prevented the completion of one of the two semifinal clashes, pushing the tournament's finish date to Monday, November 6.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula defeated her compatriot and doubles partner Coco Gauff, 6-2, 6-1, to reach the WTA Finals title clash for the first time in her career.
However, the other semifinal between World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Swiatek was suspended due to rain after just three games.
Amidst the turmoil, Denis Shapovalov took to X to express his discontent. His tweet read:
"It’s really a shame to see the conditions in the WTA finals. Players deserve better."
The conditions triggered a wave of complaints from players throughout the week. Sabalenka labeled the court in Cancun as 'unacceptable', echoing the frustrations of other players.
This led the WTA Tour chief executive officer, Steve Simon, to acknowledge the challenges and accept responsibility.
He said (via The Guardian):
"It is clear you [player] are not happy with the decision to be here in Cancun. I understand that and you have been heard. It is not a perfect event. We understand the conditions are a challenge and the WTA accepts responsibility for that."
Jessica Pegula defeats Coco Gauff and advances to WTA Finals championship match
Saturday saw a high level of tennis action as Jessica Pegula downed Coco Gauff in the semifinal of the 2023 WTA Finals.
Pegula dominated the contest, winning 6-2, 6-1, which paved her way to the title match of the event. She now awaits one of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
The victory marked a significant milestone as it was the first all-American semifinal at the WTA Finals since 2003 when the round-robin format was reintroduced.
In a match that lasted an hour, Pegula managed to convert six out of 10 break-point opportunities and lost her serve only once.
The match began with Pegula breaking at love, immediately putting pressure on Gauff. She continued to capitalize on her momentum, breaking the 2023 US Open winner's serve twice more to take a comfortable lead of 5-2 in the first set.
As the second set commenced, Pegula again broke to love, gaining a 2-0 lead. However, an unexpected rain delay of 14 minutes temporarily interrupted the match. Despite the pause, the 29-year-old remained focused and continued her dominant performance once play resumed. She broke once again, extending her lead to 4-1. The rain once again halted the match for 13 minutes.
Gauff aimed to adjust her strategy, but Pegula's baseline game remained robust, eventually sealing the victory on her second match point.
