Pegula, Defeated by Sabalenka in Miami Final: "I Couldn't Maintain Consistency on My Service Games"
This Saturday, Aryna Sabalenka claimed the title at the WTA 1000 in Miami. The world No. 1 dominated Jessica Pegula (7-5, 6-2) for the seventh time in nine encounters, each time in straight sets.
For the third time since last summer, the Belarusian prevailed over the American in a major final, following Cincinnati and the US Open. Speaking at a press conference after the loss, Pegula shared her initial thoughts.
"It’s really tough to play against Aryna. She felt her forehand and backhand really well, managed to change the direction of the ball, and was extremely aggressive.
Every time she missed easy shots, I thought I had to seize the opportunity, but she always responded with three, even four winners in a row, or at least three or four great points.
I tried to vary my serve more as the match progressed, and my serves were a bit faster toward the end, but I felt like it was already too late.
I was winning more free points on my serve, and I think that surprised her a bit, but it was the same for me when she found her rhythm on serve.
I managed to break her several times (four in total), and I put pressure on some of her service games, even though that’s one of her strengths. Unfortunately, I couldn’t maintain that consistency on my own service games, and I think that was the big difference between us in this match.
One side of the court was tougher than the other because of the wind, and we both struggled with our serves early on. If you hit a good return, it was sometimes hard to do much with the ball given the conditions.
I returned well, my movement on the court was good. Throughout the tournament, I served well and got a lot of free points on my serve—except today.
I think I need to keep all of this in mind because it will help me prepare for the clay season. I know I’m known as a hard-court player, but I believe I can also deliver results on clay," Pegula commented after the match.
