CANCÚN (Mexico), Nov 2 — World number two Iga Swiatek defeated third-ranked Coco Gauff 6-0, 7-5 in a showdown of reigning Grand Slam champions on Wednesday in a group-stage match at the WTA Finals.

Poland’s 22-year-old Swiatek, the French Open winner and a four-time Grand Slam champion, took only 89 minutes to dispatch 19-year-old American Gauff, who won the US Open last month.

The victory also boosted Swiatek’s chances to overtake Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka for the year-end world number one ranking at the season-ending outdoor hardcourt event in Mexico.

In windy conditions, Gauff hit only six winners compared to 31 unforced errors while Swiatek hit 11 winners, half her number of unforced errors.

Swiatek, a three-time Roland Garros champion and last year’s US Open winner, improved to 9-1 all-time against Gauff, whose only triumph in the rivalry came in August’s Cincinnati semi-finals ahead of her first major title at New York.

Swiatek, the 2022 year-end number one, also beat Gauff in their most recent prior meeting last month at a Beijing semi-final but the US teen was nursing a right shoulder injury.

Gauff could not become the first teen to win multiple matches at a WTA Finals since Serbian Ana Ivanovic in 2007.

Gauff netted a forehand to surrender the first break and a 2-0 lead in the opening set and Swiatek smashed a backhand shot on the baseline to break again at love for a 4-0 edge.

Swiatek hit a backhand volley winner for another break to claim the first set in 27 minutes.

Gauff broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set when Swiatek hit a forehand volley wide, her third unforced error of the game, and Gauff held in a dramatic 12-minute sixth game for a 4-2 edge.

Serving for the set, however, Gauff made four double faults in a row and was broken to 5-5, then broken again by Swiatek in the final game, netting a forehand volley on the final point.

Sabalenka must defeat Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan on Thursday in a group-stage rematch of January’s Australian Open final to qualify for Saturday’s semi-finals.

Sabalenka would clinch the year-end top spot by reaching Sunday’s final.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic faced a later rematch of the London grass final against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. Both opened group play with a loss. — AFP