Gauff's head smash still couldn't prevent her defeat by Sabalenka, will the two from Belarus target the year-end finals championship?

As expected by the public, Gauff ended up as the third sorrowful player in the year-end finals singles, with her hopes of defending the title broken early.

Before the key clash between Gauff and Sabalenka started, many fans and online commentators bluntly stated that the American was cornered, facing huge pressure to break through the group stage.

This speculation was connected to the rich American player Pegula!

Because the Italian player Paolini competed in both singles and doubles at this year’s finals, leading to heavy physical exhaustion, and was also not in top condition due to a cold when playing Gauff, many believed Pegula would handle Paolini with ease.

The wealthy American did not disappoint her supporters, sweeping the Italian player with a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Although this win was not enough for Pegula to directly advance to the semifinals, it made Gauff’s chances of progressing even slimmer. Originally, there was no guarantee of beating Sabalenka, and now with Pegula’s two-set win over Paolini, Gauff must fight desperately against Sabalenka to have any hope of advancing by small margins; a loss would end all possibilities.

Under such immense pressure facing Sabalenka, supporters naturally felt sympathy for Gauff. However, some said, what choice is there? Forced into a corner by circumstances, it’s either self-destruction or fighting for a miracle!

From the first set, Gauff clearly recognized the seriousness of the situation and got into form very quickly. Sabalenka’s intent to stop the American from defending her title was also obvious, showing no signs of slow start.

Both players quickly switched to battle mode, pushing the match to a climax from the first set, fiercely competing and taking the set to a tiebreak.

Unfortunately, Gauff, who was favored to take the set, collapsed suddenly at 4-2 in the tiebreak, losing a golden opportunity and dropping the crucial first set.

Having squandered a strong position in the first set’s critical moment to Sabalenka’s comeback, Gauff suffered a heavy blow, starting the second set disastrously and quickly falling behind 0-4.

Especially after the American made the rare gesture of smashing her racket on her own head, fans and netizens watching the live stream declared Gauff’s fate sealed, unable to escape defeat in straight sets by Sabalenka. Already at a disadvantage, her emotional turmoil made a comeback even harder.

When Sabalenka reached the match’s peak at 5-2, the Belarusian player closed out the contest with a steady 6-2 win, completing a perfect 3-0 group stage record to advance to the semifinals and completely shattering Gauff’s last hopes of defending her title.

As the semifinal lineup for this year's Riyadh year-end finals was finalized, many exclaimed a new champion would be crowned, even dubbing it a “Sabalenka and Rybakina duel for the title.”

In the semifinals, Sabalenka faces Anisimova, while Rybakina meets Pegula. Although Sabalenka and Rybakina have unfavorable head-to-head records against Anisimova and Pegula, considering Sabalenka’s recent US Open final victory over Anisimova and her current confidence from a 3-0 group run, the American players are seen as underdogs.

As for Rybakina, since battling Andreyeva for the year-end finals spot and finding her best form, her performance in Riyadh has been impressive. Especially her strong comeback win against world number two Swiatek, handing the Polish star a bagel and a breadstick, led many to believe Rybakina has truly returned to her peak.

Facing this Kazakh beauty, Pegula’s chances of stopping her progress seem extremely slim.

Therefore, fans and netizens speculate the final will most likely be Sabalenka versus Rybakina, as only this matchup meets expectations. Whoever wins the title will be well deserved, making the champion's identity less important.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Starry Sky)