Thu Nov 07 14:45:59 UTC 2024: ## Swiatek Dominates Kasatkina, But Semifinal Hopes Rest on Gauff’s Shoulders

**RIYADH, Saudi Arabia:** Iga Swiatek demolished Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0 in a lightning-fast 51 minutes at the WTA Finals, securing her second win in group play. However, her semifinal fate rests solely on the outcome of the other singles match between Coco Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova.

Swiatek’s original plan was to face Jessica Pegula, but a left knee injury forced her to withdraw from their scheduled match, prompting a sudden showdown with Kasatkina. Despite the altered schedule, Swiatek displayed an unwavering intensity, dismantling Kasatkina with a dominant performance. The world No. 2 broke her opponent’s serve five times and secured an impressive 51 of 74 points.

While the match itself had no bearing on Swiatek’s advancement, it was her earlier victory over Krejcikova that set the stage for this tense scenario. A Gauff win will secure Swiatek’s spot in the semifinals, while a Krejcikova victory will see the Czech player move forward.

Swiatek, who had lost her last four matches against top 10 players, has now clawed her way back to secure 10 top-10 victories in 2024, second only to Aryna Sabalenka. If Swiatek makes the semis, she’ll become the youngest player to achieve three consecutive semifinal appearances at the WTA Finals since Maria Sharapova’s four straight appearances between 2004-07.

Her ultimate goal is to end the year at the top of the PIF WTA Rankings, a feat she’ll undoubtedly be striving for with renewed vigor following her dominant performance against Kasatkina.

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