Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked woman in tennis, moved closer to her third consecutive U.S. Open title with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over third-ranked Jessica Pegula in the semifinals Thursday in New York.
The match was closely contested through most of the first set before Sabalenka gained momentum late, capitalizing on Pegula’s second serves and turning that into a dominant second set. She described her performance as one of her best stretches of tennis during the tournament.
“No complaints,” the 28-year-old Belarusian said after securing her spot in Saturday’s final. She will face the winner of the semifinal between No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina and No. 4 seed Coco Gauff. A victory in the final would make Sabalenka the first woman since Serena Williams from 2012 to 2014 to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles, according to tournament records.
Sabalenka, who pounded 29 winners compared to Pegula’s 12, said she was motivated by her desire to win. She has now won 19 straight matches at the U.S. Open since losing to Gauff in last year’s final.
Rybakina is expected to replace Sabalenka at the top of the women’s rankings next week, though Sabalenka has said she is fine with ceding the No. 1 spot if she performs well Saturday. Her performance against Pegula suggests she will be a strong contender in the final, which could see her make history with a third consecutive title.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
