PEGULA COMES OUT ON TOP AS 2024 CHAMPION GAUFF’S SERVICE WOES PROVE COSTLY
Coco Gauff’s title defence got off to a difficult start as Jessica Pegula posted a fine opening victory at the 2025 WTA Finals.
The fifth seed took advantage of the two-time Grand Slam champion’s issues on serve to claim a 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2 win in two hours and 12 minutes.
The eighth meeting between the two Americans started in bizarre fashion with five straight breaks of serve before Pegula finally ironed out some issues to hold for a 4-2 lead.
Gauff did eventually hold to briefly stay in contention but was broken for a fourth time when her fifth double fault of the opener gifted a 35-minute set to Pegula.
The Roland-Garros champion is renowned for her fighting qualities and immediately responded to break and claim a 2-0 lead early in the second.
Gauff maintained her break advantage but twice blinked serving for the set, double faulting three times in a row to allow Pegula to somehow reach a tie-break.
However, it was the 31-year-old underdog who fluffed her lines with a forehand long at 4-4 in the breaker that allowed Gauff to go on and clinch it by a 7-4 scoreline.
Pegula recovered in a cagey start to the third set and broke with a stunning crosscourt pass to pave the way towards a 4-2 advantage.
This time there would be no recovery from Gauff who threw down her 17th double fault of the match as her opponent broke again before serving out the victory.
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