Jessica Pegula Saves Match Point to Beat Linda Noskova and Reach WTA Finals Semifinals as Coco Gauff Is Eliminated
Jessica Pegula Saves Match Point to Beat Linda Noskova and Reach WTA Finals Semifinals as Coco Gauff Is Eliminated
Jessica Pegula saved a match point and beat Linda Noskova 7-6(7-2), 4-6, 7-5 in a dramatic final group match at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Thursday night, reaching the semifinals and ending Coco Gauff’s run at the season-ending championships.
The win completed a three-way tie at 2-1 in Group 1. Pegula and Noskova advanced on percentage of sets won, while Gauff — who had won her own match earlier in the day — finished third in the group and was eliminated.
A Decider That Came Down to One Point
Pegula, the world No. 5, took the first set in a tiebreak, winning it 7-2. Noskova, the Wimbledon champion and world No. 8, answered by taking the second set 6-4, setting up a deciding set with a semifinal place on the line.
The third set turned on a single point. Noskova held a match point while returning at 4-5, but Pegula saved it, then broke serve to move ahead 6-5 before serving out the match. Pegula finished with 16 aces, while Noskova struggled badly on serve, hitting 15 double faults and landing only 48 percent of her first serves.
It was a match neither player could afford to lose: a Pegula defeat would have sent her home and put Gauff through instead.
Gauff Won Her Match — and Still Went Out
Hours earlier, Gauff had done everything she could to stay alive. The 2024 WTA Finals champion rallied from 5-1 down in the second set to beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5, winning the final six games of the match.
But Gauff’s fate was out of her hands. She finished round-robin play at 2-1, the same record as Pegula and Noskova, and the sets-won tiebreaker went against her. Gauff had opened the tournament by beating Pegula 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2, then lost to Noskova 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday. Noskova had already secured her semifinal place with that win, becoming the first player through in her debut at the event.
Kostyuk, the world No. 10, entered the eight-player field as the first alternate after top-ranked Elena Rybakina withdrew because of a viral illness. She finished group play 0-3 without winning a set.
Background: Pegula’s Fifth Straight Finals
Pegula is appearing at the WTA Finals for a fifth consecutive year. Her best result came in 2023, when she reached the final before losing to Iga Swiatek, and she also made the semifinals last year. After the opening loss to Gauff, she kept her campaign alive with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Kostyuk.
Noskova has been the breakout story of the group, reaching the semifinals on her tournament debut.
Why This Matters
The result reshapes the end of the women’s tennis season. Gauff, the world No. 4 and one of the sport’s biggest American stars, leaves Indian Wells earlier than expected, while Pegula — at 32, the veteran of the group — gets another shot at the title she came closest to winning three years ago. Gauff had also questioned the round-robin format earlier in the week after her defeat to Noskova left her qualification out of her own hands — a frustration Thursday night only confirmed.
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Pegula will face Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. The 19-year-old Russian won Group 2 after beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday. Noskova will meet the winner of Friday’s Group 2 decider between Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina.
The WTA Finals, sponsored this year as the FAGE WTA Finals, run from November 8 to 15 in Indian Wells, with $10 million in prize money on offer. It has been a dramatic week across American sport: Stephen Curry was ruled out for at least two weeks with an oblique abdominal tear, while in golf Fat Perez, Riggs and Bobby Ray split $4 million after winning the 2026 Internet Invitational.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score between Pegula and Noskova?
Jessica Pegula beat Linda Noskova 7-6(7-2), 4-6, 7-5 in the final Group 1 round-robin match at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Thursday, November 12.
Why was Coco Gauff eliminated even though she won her last match?
Gauff, Pegula and Noskova all finished Group 1 at 2-1. With three players tied, the semifinal places were decided on percentage of sets won, and that tiebreaker put Pegula and Noskova ahead of Gauff, who finished third in the group.
Who does Jessica Pegula play in the semifinals?
Pegula will face Mirra Andreeva, the Group 2 winner, in the semifinals. Noskova will play the winner of Friday’s match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina.
How many aces did Pegula hit against Noskova?
Pegula hit 16 aces. Noskova, by contrast, hit 15 double faults and landed only 48 percent of her first serves.
Pegula’s win keeps her title bid alive and sets up a semifinal against one of the tour’s brightest young stars. For Gauff, the wait for another WTA Finals crown will stretch into next season.
Sources: Heavy; The Tennis Letter; Howard Bryant; WTA; Associated Press; Reuters; Tennis Majors.
