Coco Gauff, Caroline Garcia clinch WTA Finals singles berths with Sabalenka's Guadalajara defeat

With Aryna Sabalenka falling Wednesday in Guadalajara, Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia became the fourth and fifth singles players to qualify for the 2022 WTA Finals.

Sabalenka was outclassed by Liudmila Samsonova, who celebrated her first Top 5 victory after advancing to the third round, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Samsonova has now won 20 of her past 22 matches, highlighted by three title runs since August in Washington, D.C., Cleveland and Tokyo.

Gauff had already punched her ticket to Fort Worth in doubles alongside countrywoman Jessica Pegula, with the duo raising their third team trophy of the year last Sunday in San Diego. The world No. 7 is the first 18-year-old to qualify as a singles competitor since Maria Sharapova in 2005. Monica Seles set the bar as the youngest champion in 1990, when at 16, she won her first of three successive crowns.

Pegula previously secured her singles berth to the year-end event with her San Diego semifinal showing. The Buffalo, N.Y. native saved three match points to deny Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8). Gauff earlier overcame Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 7-6 (1), 6-3, and next meets Martina Trevisan in a rematch of June's Roland Garros semifinal.

Currently at No. 6 in the race, Sabalenka will now be forced to see how her season point haul holds up. Daria Kasatkina will surpass her with a win Thursday, and at the time of her defeat, additional six competitors left in the draw had mathematical scenarios in play to leapfrog Sabalenka. Four remain in contention.

Among them is Veronika Kudermetova, who like Gauff and Pegula, is aiming to secure her place in both singles and doubles. The Russian regained the No. 8 slot from Maria Sakkari by solving Donna Vekic, 6-4, 7-5. Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins and fellow American Madison Keys also moved forward. Collins wrapped up 6-3, 6-4 victory over Magdalena Frech and Keys turned the tide against Ajla Tomljanovic, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Belinda Bencic saw her hopes dashed when she bowed out to Sloane Stephens, 6-4, 6-4. Paula Badosa's bid to return to the WTA Finals ended, too, after the top seed retired down 6-2 to Victoria Azarenka.