Champ Coco crumbles as Sabalenka ends her reign

Pegula books spot in WTA Finals last four

- 

Aryna Sabalenka hits a return against Coco Gauff during their round-robin match in Riyadh.

(AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula both advanced to the last four of the WTA Finals with straight-sets victories in Riyadh on Thursday.

The top-seeded Sabalenka ended the title defence of Coco Gauff by defeating the American 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in the closing match of the round-robin stage at King Saud University Indoor Arena.

With a perfect 3-0 record, Belarus' Sabalenka finished atop the Stefanie Graf Group, while Pegula secured the runner-up spot with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over eighth seed Jasmine Paolini.

Sabalenka set up a US Open final rematch with fourth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova, while Pegula was to take on sixth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the semifinals later yesterday.