(Cancún) Jessica Pegula finished the preliminary round of the WTA Finals with a perfect 3-0 record with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Maria Sakkari on Thursday.
Pegula earned her place in the semi-finals, having lost all three of her matches at this tournament last year.
It was an eighth straight victory for Pegula, who won the Korean Open in October.
The 29-year-old American has not lost a set in Cancun so far.
“Finishing 3-0 is really a great achievement,” she said. Particularly after my journey last year, when it was the opposite.
She will play in the semi-final on Saturday.
Sakkari, ninth in the world, was beaten in two sets in her three meetings.
“This is not the way I wanted to end my season,” said Sakkari. I think physically and mentally I paid the price for all the trips and all the matches. »
Pegula had fewer winners than Sakkari (12-7), but she also made almost half as many unforced errors (35-18). The evening was windy, with a few short showers.
The other semi-finalist in this group was to be determined later Thursday, when No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka meets Elena Rybakina.
Earlier this year, Sabalenka defeated Rybakina in the final in Melbourne, capturing her first Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka led 5-1 in the first set when the match was interrupted due to a thunderstorm.
Pegula is already assured of finishing first in her group of four players with her victories against Sabalenka and Rybakina.
The other two semi-finalists will be known on Friday.
US Open champion Coco Gauff will face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, while four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek will face Ons Jabeur.