Gauff saves three set points to beat Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5 and keep WTA Finals hopes alive

Coco Gauff beat Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 7-5 in a WTA Finals round-robin match at Indian Wells on Thursday, saving three set points in the second set to keep her hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive. The world No 4 still requires help from other results to advance.

The world No 4 still needs help to reach the semi-finals of the elite season-ending event. If fifth-ranked compatriot Jessica Pegula beats Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in Thursday’s final group match, Pegula will advance instead. Noskova has already qualified. Gauff did what she could with a gutsy straight-sets win.

Trailing 5-1 in the second set, Gauff saved three set points in the seventh game and then ran off six consecutive games to close out the match.

In the first set Gauff was broken in the opening game, then broke Kostyuk for a second time to move ahead 4-2 and held for 5-2. Kostyuk took a medical timeout for treatment on her right wrist; after having the wrist taped she returned to hold serve and then broke Gauff as the American served for the set, helped by a pair of double faults. Gauff regrouped to take the set.

Early in the second set Gauff fell two breaks behind to trail 3-0 and received treatment for what she later described as back tightness. Despite committing nine double faults, she prevailed in one hour and 39 minutes.

“I’m not going to lie, [my] head was already in that third set,” Gauff said of her mindset when trailing 5-1. “Then once it got to 5-4 I was like, ‘OK, I can win this set.’ I got a little bit lucky. She gave me a few errors. I’m glad I was able to close that out.”

Gauff will await the result of Thursday’s final group match between Pegula and Noskova, which will decide whether she reaches the semi-finals. If Pegula beats Noskova, Pegula will advance instead.