In the second round of play in the Chetumal Group, Iga Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff and went 2-0 in group stage, while Ons Jabeur avenged her Wimbledon final loss to Marketa Vondrousova and recorded her first match win at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun.
On a windy Wednesday night, Gauff struggled through the first set, hampered by a recent two-week hiatus from serving due to a shoulder injury. The American teenager managed to overcome the first-set bagel and earned an opportunity to serve for the second set, but then committed a series of four double faults. That started a stretch in which Gauff lost nine points in a row and 12 of the last 13, eventually falling to Swiatek 6-0 7-5.
Gauff has now lost for the ninth time in her ten career meetings with Swiatek. The rivalry is somewhat historic, as only three more pairs have played ten or more times this century: Kim Clijsters vs. Justine Henin, Agnieszka Radwanska vs. Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki vs. Dominika Cibulkova.
After winning just one game against Gauff in her opening match, Jabeur rebounded with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Vondrousova on Day 4. Vondrousova is now the only player in the Chetumal Group without a win.
No players from the Chetumal Group have qualified for the semifinals yet. With two match wins, Swiatek is the strongest contender to advance, while even Vondrousova with her 0-2 score has a mathematical chance to make it through. The only confirmed semifinalist for now is Jessica Pegula, from the Bacalar Group.
