Aryna Sabalenka eliminates Coco Gauff from WTA Finals, joins Jessica Pegula in semifinals

Entering Thursday, three players—Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka—saw a host of scenarios in front of them that would put them through to the two sermifinal spots at the WTA Finals out of the Stefanie Graf Group.

By the end of the day's play, the path forward was ultimately simple for Sabalenka and Pegula.

The world No. 1 turned a 5-3 first-set deficit into a 7-6(5), 6-2 win against Gauff, eliminating the defending champion from semifinal contention in the process.

Pegula previously secured a 6-2, 6-3 win over the already-eliminated Jasmine Paolini, and the combination of results put Sabalenka through as group winner with a 3-0 record, and Pegula in second at 2-1.

Sabalenka will face Amanda Anisimova in one semifinal, while Pegula will face Elena Rybakina in the other.

Gauff was up a break twice in the opening set against Sabalenka and had two break points to take a 5-2 lead in the pair's first meeting since a contentious Roland Garros final in the spring. The American served for the set at 5-4, and was 30-0 ahead, but Sabalenka turned the set's momentum on its head by chasing down a drop shot and hitting a forehand winner down the line.

"I was already working for the second set, to be honest," Sabalenka confessed later. "Something clicked and I was able to break and that game gave me a lot of confidence that I still got it in this set."

Gauff also led 4-2 in the subsequent tiebreaker but netted a backhand and later double-faulted to give Sabalenka two set points. After finishing the set with another forehand winner, Sabalenka broke in the opening game of the second set and never looked back.

"I had a lot of chances in the first set," Gauff said. "It was a bit disappointing not to get that one. She stepped her level up and I just couldn't find it after that. Overall, I think I was playing a high level."