The warning for Gauff's title defense in the finals has been triggered, as Swiatek and Rybakina compete for the top spot in the group to advance.

Following the conclusion of the first-round matches in the Graf and Serena groups at the Riyadh year-end finals, American Gauff, the defending champion from last year, has become a focal point of worry!

At that time, placed in the same group as Sabalenka, Barty, and Pegula, and given Gauff's strong form after recently winning the Wuhan 1000 event, many expected the American to advance from the group without much difficulty. However, in her group debut against fellow American Pegula, Gauff’s performance was not a surprise but rather a shock.

It was assumed that facing Pegula in Riyadh, whom she had defeated in Wuhan, Gauff would have a clear advantage. Yet, against a revenge-driven Pegula, the young American struggled from the very first set and, despite a hard-fought three-set battle, ultimately lost to Pegula.

The reaction from the public after the match was quite harsh. Many fans and netizens openly stated that once Pegula took the first set 6-3, Gauff’s extremely unstable play made it seem very difficult for her to overturn the match against the precise and aggressive American rival.

Many people suddenly shifted from being very optimistic about Gauff before the match to losing faith in her instantly, mainly due to her bizarre performance in the second set.

When Gauff was leading 6-5 and had the chance to serve for the set, everyone thought she would easily close it out. Instead, she unexpectedly collapsed. Although she narrowly won the tiebreak, this issue exposed during the match became the first domino to fall in shaking many people's trust in Gauff.

It turned out that the outside expectation that a fired-up Pegula might heavily defeat Gauff was spot on. The wealthy American sealed the match with a 6-2 win in the final set, handing Gauff a disappointing start to the group stage, which surprised no fans or observers.

Of course, Gauff’s performance was not entirely negative throughout the match. For example, her aces exceeding 200 km/h brought a thrilling sense of speed and power to the court. Unfortunately, her inconsistency and as many as 17 double faults in the match ultimately caused her to suffer a self-inflicted defeat against Pegula.

After losing to Pegula, some fans and netizens admitted that with the warning for her title defense sounding early, Gauff’s current focus is no longer on successfully defending her championship but on how to overcome the immediate crisis and ensure she can advance from the group; otherwise, her dreams of defending the title will be shattered prematurely.

Currently, Gauff has only one, and quite tough, condition to advance from the group: she must defeat both Sabalenka and Barty in the upcoming matches to keep her hopes alive.

Many believe that beating Barty is achievable for Gauff with effort given her ability; however, defeating Sabalenka presents a more significant challenge for the young American.

Some say that if she loses another match, Gauff’s chances of defending her title will become even slimmer. The defending champion must significantly improve her form in the remaining matches and avoid any mistakes, or the consequences will be severe.

Compared to the troubles Gauff faces in her group at the Riyadh year-end finals, the situation looks very promising for Swiatek and Rybakina in the "Serena group." Observers following these two new and old Wimbledon champions admit that the only question is who will advance as the group leader.

In the second round of the "Serena group," if both Swiatek and Keys win, the Polish player will top the group, and Anisimova will be the first to be eliminated; if Rybakina and Anisimova win, the Kazakh beauty will lead the group, and Keys will be the first to exit.

It can be said that the second round of the "Serena group" looks like a battle between Rybakina and Swiatek for the top spot, but it is also a path of self-redemption for Anisimova and Keys. Whether they can keep even a slight chance to advance depends entirely on their upcoming performances.

The schedule for the second round in the Serena group has been confirmed: Swiatek and Rybakina will face off at 10 PM Beijing time tonight; Keys and Anisimova will play afterward, no earlier than 11:30 PM Beijing time. After these two key matches, who will cry or smile, and who will control their destiny, will leave fans feeling both anxious and excited!(Source: Tennis Home; Author: Moonlit River Starry Sky)