Azarenka cruises previous Keys to arrange assembly with Gauff in Guadalajara

Victoria Azarenka battled previous Madison Keys 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-1 in Guadalajara on Thursday, ending the American’s hopes of reaching the WTA Finals and establishing a quarterfinal showdown with Coco Gauff, who rolled previous Italian Martina Trevisan 6-0, 6-3.

Will probably be the primary assembly between the 33-year-old twice main winner Azarenka and the American 15 years her junior, after overcoming second-set blunders to dispatch Keys in a tense two hours and 14 minutes.

Gauff earned her spot in Fort Price a day earlier.

Two different gamers - Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Kasatkina - additionally certified for the WTA Finals on Thursday, claiming the sixth and seventh spots.

Kasatkina makes her debut within the season finale after successful in San Jose and Granby, whereas fourth-ranked Sabalenka makes her second journey after reaching the semifinal in Flushing Meadows.

Third-ranked Jessica Pegula of the USA stored her spectacular 2022 on monitor to down former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 6-4 and can subsequent face compatriot Sloane Stephens, who dispatched France’s Caroline Garcia 7-6(6), 7-5.

Pegula, a quarterfinalist on the Australian Open, Roland Garros and US Open this 12 months, appeared to be in hassle because the Canadian broke her to like within the second sport of the primary set however rapidly discovered her type, successful barely greater than 70% of her first-serve factors throughout your entire match.

Veronika Kudermetova beat Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4 and can subsequent play both American Danielle Collins or Greek Maria Sakkari, whereas Czech Marie Bouzkova overcame a disastrous begin to ship off Liudmila Samsonova 0-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Bouzkova will play the winner of a match between Kasatkina and Anna Kalinskaya.