By Siring Adol Caur
- Iga Świątek [2] v Daria Kasatkina [9]
- Coco Gauff [3] v Barbora Krejcikova [13]
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – In the last day of group matches, Iga Swiatek looks to book her spot in the semi-finals in Riyadh while Coco Gauff takes on Barbora Krejcikova in the orange group.
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Iga Świątek [2] v Daria Kasatkina [9] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Iga Świątek [2] v Daria Kasatkina [9] | H2H: First Meeting |
| WTA Finals 2024 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $350,000 |
| Second on Center Court (Not before 12:30 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Day six of the WTA Finals begins with the orange group having their third and final day of action, starting with first meeting ever between Iga Swiatek and Daria Kasatkina.
Kasatkina, who has recently won the Ningbo title against Mirra Andreeva in the final, and has had a 40-22 win-loss record on hard surface this year. Having never faced Świątek, she is will face the defending champion with various accompanying challenges. She is significantly inexperienced against the top players, which can make her take an extra while to absorb and plan against the game and style of world number two. Her varied strong selection can act as a primary tactic to tackle her opponent.
Świątek, now has the only chance to get closer to the trophy for 2024 as she will a completely new opponent, against whom she has an opportunity to dominate from the beginning, as she reads the court well and her footwork is an added advantage. The Olympic bronze medallist , has won eight of her previous eleven matches, losing the other three to top ten ranked players. She has had a varied year, different from 2023, where her win-loss record was 68-11, compared to 54-7 this year, as she has played lesser number of tournaments this year. The aggressive game play from Gauff was indicative of what Świątek has been missing lately, which made her drop a set against Krejčíková as well.
Świątek can bring her offensive and aggressive game forward as she needs to win in straight sets to accompany Gauff to qualify from the group. Kasatkina needs to work on her second serves and consistently play aggressive volleys, as Świątek has a way with the fast-paced courts and game.
Prediction: Świątek in straight sets.
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Coco Gauff [3] v Barbora Krejcikova [13] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Coco Gauff [3] v Barbora Krejcikova [13] | H2H: Krejčíková leads 1-0 |
| WTA Finals 2024 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Indoor Hard | Prize Money: $350,000 |
| Third on Center Court (Not before 15:00 GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
The second match of day six will have the American number 1 and the Wimbledon champion go head-to-head, where the former has got nothing to lose and latter is going to bid on the match to qualify from the group along with her opponent. Barbora Krejčíková won their last and only meeting at Roland Garros 2021 where she was the singles and women doubles’ champion.
Krejčíková, must win a match in straight sets against Coco Gauff as she stands at number three in the group standings, having won one match and dropped two sets, compared to Świątek’s three sets. The Czech has been out of form lately, resulting in early exits, but her aggressive game is the one to look out for at Riyadh, which she has exhibited in the past two matches.
Gauff has enjoyed the Asian swing and has dominated the game in the group matches. She needs to work on her double faults, which were eleven against Pegula, in a match where she dropped just five games. Whereas, her next opponent, had eleven aces in a match where she dropped six games. Gauff has the potential to end the year on a new high, if she gets her statistics into place.
The interesting returns and volleys from both ends could be extended following the strong returns and forehands. The 28-year-old Krejčíková can attack the inconsistent serve of Gauff, and push her into committing more unforced errors and double faults.
Prediction: Gauff in three sets.
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