Despite starting the WTA Finals on a disappointing note, Jessica Pegula has certainly turned the tables. She secured her spot in the semifinals after defeating Linda Noskova 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 in what was a grueling encounter. This victory meant that Pegula finished second in Group 1, setting up a clash with Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. It will be a must-watch, not only because it will be their first-ever tour-level clash, but also because they will lock horns for the first time since the hot-mic controversy.

The controversy has been in the headlines for a number of days now. It all began ahead of the WTA Finals when Pegula and Andreeva were playing a practice match at Indian Wells. With the Russian ahead by 4-0 in the first set, Pegula was heard making some very questionable remarks about her to coach Mark Knowles.

“How do you think I feel? She needs to be humbled,” she was caught saying on the mic. “Conchita has always been very nice to me, but I’ve lost a bit of respect for her. I’m like, this girl, I think she’s a nice girl, she’s just a bit of a diva….If I was a coach and my girl, you just played four great games, and you’re up four-zero, and you’re mad at me, hitting balls at me, I would be like, first of all, [that’s] disrespectful to the other person. You’re four-zero, shut the f— … Conchita, like pokes her and like eggs on her behavior.”

The video spread like wildfire, and many criticized Pegula for her comments about Andreeva. The situation got so out of hand that the WTA also had to apologize for not letting the players know that their microphones were on during practice. While it was initially expected that there would be tensions between Pegula and Andreeva because of the controversy, things mellowed after the two had a private conversation.

“I really appreciated that she (Pegula) came up to me on the same day,” Andreeva had said after defeating Elina Svitolina at the WTA Finals. “I think maybe a couple of hours just went by and she, you know, she approached me. Obviously, she apologized. So yeah, there is no drama or anything behind it. Now we’re able to laugh about it. So I think that’s the most important.”

Coming back, Pegula’s victory over Noskova meant that she finished second in Group 1. The Czech finished at the top after defeating both Marta Kostyuk and Coco Gauff in straight sets. On the other hand, Andreeva has already won Group 2 after racking up dominant straight-set wins over Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka.

While the defeat to Pegula didn’t affect Noskova much, it proved to be highly costly for Gauff, as she was knocked out. Though both she and Pegula finished the group stage with two wins from three matches, the latter advanced because of a better set record.

Jessica Pegula edges past Coco Gauff in the group stage of the WTA Finals

Pegula finished the group stage with a set record of 5-3 while Gauff fell just a whisker behind at 4-3. As a result, it was the World No. 5 who got to second place. It is quite a painful way for Gauff to be eliminated, as she had defeated Pegula 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 in the first match of the group stage.

Gauff was then defeated 6-3, 6-3 by Noskova, and this result proved to be the catalyst behind her elimination. The American secured a 6-4, 7-5 win against Kostyuk in her final group match, but it wasn’t enough as Pegula had defeated the Ukrainian 6-2, 7-5 in her second clash.

Three of the four semifinalists for the WTA Finals have been decided following day five’s conclusion. They will be joined by either Svitolina or Sabalenka, who will be facing each other in their final group stage clash. The winner will finish second in Group 2 and will face Noskova in the semifinals.