New York, Sept 11:
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka moved within one victory of a historic third consecutive US Open title after defeating American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the women’s singles semifinal at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.
Sabalenka initially struggled to control her emotions and was involved in a closely fought opening set. Pegula, the third seed, remained competitive and tested the Belarusian before Sabalenka found her rhythm and began dictating play with her powerful groundstrokes.
The turning point came late in the opening set when Sabalenka secured a crucial break and went on to take it 7-5. She then took complete control of the match in the second set, breaking Pegula’s resistance and closing out the contest 6-2.
Sabalenka struck 29 winners and seven aces during the 80-minute contest, using her power and aggressive baseline game to keep Pegula under constant pressure. The American struggled to respond as Sabalenka stepped up her level in the second set.
The victory sent Sabalenka into her fourth consecutive US Open final. She is now just one win away from becoming only the third woman in the Open Era, after Serena Williams and Chris Evert, to win three successive US Open singles titles.
Sabalenka’s opponent in the final will be Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. Rybakina defeated American Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal to reach her first US Open final.
The final will therefore bring together two players who have already met in major finals this season. Sabalenka will be seeking to complete a rare US Open hat-trick, while Rybakina will be aiming to claim her first title at the New York Grand Slam.