A rematch between Sabalenka and Pegula in the US Open final!
On Saturday, the US Open final will pit Aryna Sabalenka against Jessica Pegula. It's the same match-up as in the final of the WTA 1000 Cincinnati three weeks ago, when the Belarusian dominated the American in two sets (6-3, 7-5).
In the semi-finals, Sabalenka proved too strong for Emma Navarro on Thursday. In her ultra-offensive style, she alternated winners (34) and unforced errors (34), like her opponent (13/13), but she negotiated the important points better to win in an hour and a half (6-3, 7-6[2]).
In particular, the world n°2 won a monumental point at 2-2 in the tie-break of the 2nd set, which enabled her to make the difference for good.
Later in the day, Jessica Pegula turned the tables on Karolina Muchova. The American was in dire straits, trailing 6-1, 2-0 after 38 minutes of play, and seemed to have no answer to the Czech's technically and tactically clean tennis.
But she managed to raise her game and gradually break down her opponent's well-honed mechanics. In the end, the world n°6 took the upper hand in the 3rd set, winning in just over two hours (1-6, 6-4, 6-2).
This will be Sabalenka's second consecutive final in New York. Last year, she lost to another American, Coco Gauff, in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 6-2). She will be aiming for her 3rd Grand Slam title, following her two Australian Open triumphs (2023, 2024).
For Pegula, 30, this will be her very first final in one of the four major tournaments. Prior to the 2024 edition of the US Open, she had never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.
She won't be going into this title match with the odds stacked in her favor, but in recent weeks she seems capable of surpassing all her supposed limits.
