LOS ANGELES: Coco Gauff outlasted fellow American Jessica Pegula to win a tension-packed group stage opener 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 on Sunday in the WTA Finals at Indian Wells.
Two-time major winner Gauff fell behind 5-1 in the second set but saved three set points in the 10th game and captured five games in a row to seize a 6-5 edge.
Pegula denied a Gauff match point and held in the 12th game to force a tie-breaker, then jumped to a 5-2 lead and forced a third set with a forehand return winner.
Gauff seized a 3-0 lead in the third set and dominated from there, holding in the final game to take the match after two hours and 39 minutes when Pegula swatted a backhand beyond the baseline.
