American No. 1 Jessica Pegula can still qualify for the semi-finals of the WTA Finals, taking place this week in her home country.
The new World No. 3 has had a poor start to the season-ending finale in Fort Worth, Texas, having lost both her opening matches in the Nancy Richey Group.
Pegula opened her debut WTA Finals campaign with a tough, two set loss to World No. 5, Maria Sakkari. The American played well throughout that match in front of her (very small) home crowd, pushing her Greek opponent to two tight tie-breaks.
It was about as close as a straight sets loss can possibly be, but it was Sakkari who took both of those breakers, her prior experience in a WTA Finals paying dividends.
Pegula again played well in her second match - this time against World No. 3, Ons Jabeur - but again came up short, losing in three sets having won the first.
With only one group match left to determine the final group standings, the odds are stacked against Pegula. However, she can still sneak through to the semi-finals. She would need to defeat her final group opponent, Aryna Sabalenka, in two sets, while also needing Sakkari to beat Jabeur in straight sets. This would see the Buffalo-born Pegula go through in second place in the group standings.
Unlikely though it may be, stranger things have happened. With the form that Sakkari has shown in her last two tournaments, and Pegula having the added incentive of being winless thus far in the competition, it is an outcome that remains a real possibility.
It may just be the tonic the tournament needs to increase crowd numbers too, as a home player in the knock-out phase would no doubt attract interest heading into the weekend.
Pegula and fellow American, Coco Gauff, are also a doubles team this week, but have lost their first two matches as a pair and face the formidable doubles team that is Krejčíková and Siniaková next.
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