DALLAS – France’s Caroline Garcia survived an epic battle before beating Daria Kasatkina 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) on Saturday, sending over 42 winners to advance to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals.
The Cincinnati winner had played some of the best tennis of her career this summer, reaching the US Open semi-finals and she showed her fighting spirit was intact in Fort Worth, Texas, as she outlasted Kasatkina in a 32-point rally for match point.
The world No. 6 became the first player in 30 attempts this season to beat Kasatkina after dropping the first set. She will face Greek Maria Sakkari next.
“Every match we say you have to give it all and no regrets, go for it, and it’s always true, but in this tournament even more,” Garcia said after the match. “I really tried to give everything I had.”
The typically steely Garcia lost her cool in the first set as Kasatkina broke her to love in the ninth game, flinging a banana against her bench in utter frustration.
She regained her composure in the second set, bulldozing through the Roland Garros semi-finalist with her trademark aggressive style.
But the pair produced the most thrilling tennis of the season-ending tournament in the 80-minute third-set duel, trading breaks twice before Kasatkina fended off six break points in the ninth game.
Garcia, who dropped to her knees in exhaustion after winning the 2½-hour affair, said her success this week “proves that this was definitely a good year”.
“I started very far from the top 10, the top eight, and I made my way to it,” added the 29-year-old. “Today, it’s one more thing that proves my game style is working and I have to keep going that way.”
Featuring in the Finals for the first time since 2017, she will hope to be fully recovered for Sakkari, whom she beat in the fourth round at Cincinnati.
The Greek world No. 5 looks tough as ever, after flattening all three of her round-robin opponents.
In another match, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek made quick work of Coco Gauff in a 6-3, 6-0 demolition, winning the final 10 straight games in a rematch of their Roland Garros final earlier this year. Gauff had already been eliminated from semi-final contention.
The Polish three-time Grand Slam winner, who had already claimed her semi-final spot, next faces No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka, whom she defeated en route to the US Open in September.
Said Swiatek: “I’m pretty happy to have this record. Last year I wouldn’t have even dreamed of it. I am happy with my progress.”
But it was a bitterly disappointing WTA Finals debut for 18-year-old Gauff, who was unable to record a win in the group stage. REUTERS, AFP
