Coco Gauff has been eliminated from contention for a semifinal spot at the WTA Finals, trailing Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula in game percentage even before her third group stage match against Sabalenka.
Gauff was still in the running to qualify for the semifinals alongside Sabalenka and Pegula after Elisabetta Paolini missed securing a spot from the Steffi Graf Group. The 21-year-old started her campaign with a win over Paolini but fell to Pegula in the second match. Her final group stage encounter was against the top-ranked Sabalenka, who had already secured a semifinal berth regardless of the outcome.
There were limited scenarios that could have knocked Sabalenka out of the semifinals. One was if Pegula topped the group, or if both Americans—Pegula and Gauff—won their matches in straight sets. Gauff also had a chance to advance by winning in straight sets or relying on Paolini winning her matches or Pegula winning in three sets.
However, qualification ultimately came down to the game percentage. Sabalenka leads with 60%, Pegula follows closely with 58%, and Gauff trails at 51%. This mathematical disadvantage meant that Pegula’s pathway to the semifinals wouldn’t be affected by the result of Gauff versus Sabalenka.
As a result, Coco Gauff was eliminated from the final four even before concluding her match against Sabalenka. Looking ahead, Sabalenka and Pegula will face the top two players from the Serena Williams Group in the semifinals.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-why-coco-gauff-get-eliminated-wta-finals-even-3rd-group-match-all-need-know