World No. 1 and reigning US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka battled past fourth seed Jessica Pegula in a gripping semifinal clash at Arthur Ashe Stadium, rallying for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory to secure her spot in the final.
This marks Sabalenka’s fifth straight semifinal appearance in New York, a feat last achieved by Serena Williams between 2011 and 2016.
The 27-year-old Belarusian is now to play her seventh career Grand Slam final. Incredibly, it will be her fourth in five majors and her third straight at the US Open, where she is within touching distance of successfully defending her title.
She now waits to see the victor of the Amanda Anisimova vs Naomi Osaka semifinal, the chance to be the first woman since Serena Williams, who won three in succession between 2012-14, to take consecutive titles in Flushing Meadows.
Pegula started confidently, dominating the first set with accuracy and calmness. Restricting herself to just three unforced errors, she remained on the front foot, employed steady pressure on return, and galvanized the New York fans with her attacking game.
Sabalenka, who has experienced close calls this year with runner-up appearances at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros and a Wimbledon semifinal loss, fought back in ferocious style in the second. Breaking early to hold for 3-0, she built on her advantage and took the contest to a deciding set.
The third set began with Pegula struggling at 30-40, hitting a forehand long to give Sabalenka the upper hand. The American continued to test her opponent's serve, especially in a long sixth game that lasted close to nine minutes. However, despite generating seven break points, Pegula was able to convert only two throughout the match.
Winning at 5-4 on serve, Sabalenka faltered for the first time by flubbing an overhead on match point, but recovered to win on her third chance after two hours and five minutes of outstanding tennis.
"It was a really tough match. She played incredible tennis, as always. I had to work really hard to get this win. I’m super happy to get the win against Jess because she’s such a great player, great fighter. They are always tough matches. I’m super happy to be in the final again," said Sabalenka.
Read also| ED Summons Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan in Connection with Illegal Betting App Case
