By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Jessica Pegula pounded world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 at the WTA Finals, her first win over the Belarusian since 2020.
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty
Halloween horror shows don’t frighten Jessica Pegula.
A proactive Pegula vanquished ghosts of self doubt and match-point misfires earning an enchanting 6-4, 6-3 upset of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals in Cancun tonight.
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Unleashing a sinister serve and bringing fear factor on return, Pegula out-aced the top seed (5 to 1) and broke serve five times snapping a four-match losing streak to Sabalenka in beating the Belarusian for the first time since 2020.
Suspense spiked as Pegula double-faulted away her first two match points eventually dropping serve. Sabalenka saved six match points in all before Pegula converted her seventh match point to seal it.
“I clearly got tight on the two doubles, but it happens,” Pegula told Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman. “I knew she was going to get hot, she was starting to get fired up. She was starting to play a bit better and she hit some good shots.
"Sometimes there’s not much you can do except try to have a good attitude. I feel like that’s what I tried to do is not let it affect me. I thought I did a good job of that and was able to break her right back, which is less stressful.”
It is Pegula’s third win over a world No. 1 this year and second straight win over a Grand Slam champion, following her 7-5, 6-2 victory over 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, giving her a 2-0 record in round-robin play. Pegula has broken two of the biggest servers in the sport five times apiece in her opening round-robin matches.
If Rybakina defeats eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari later tonight, then the fifth-seeded Pegula will win the Bacalar Group and advance to the tournament semifinals, while Rybakina and Sabalenka would square off on Thursday in a rematch of the Australian Open final with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Talk about scary statements: Pegula raised her record to 49-0 this year when winning the opening set, including a 7-0 mark vs. Top 10 opponents when she takes the first set.
Wearing tan kinesiology tape wrapping her left shoulder, Pegula unwound Sabalenka’s serve.
Two days after Sabalenka annihilated Maria Sakkari 6-0, 6-1, Pegula applied pressure on the world No. 1 from the first game.
The top seed saved two break points to open, including jamming an ace out wide. Pegula stamped a love hold with an ace of her own in response.
The fifth-seeded American wasn’t giving up much space behind the baseline and her aggressive return positioning may well have spooked Sabalenka. The Belarusian wrapped a pair of forehand errors around a double fault as Pegula drew first-break blood for 3-2.
"It was windy so I knew on the one side I really had to move in," Pegular said. "I just tried to move in because the bounce is so high, I’m not that tall. I don’t really have a choice, unfortunately.
"Thankfully, I’ve gotten much better at it. So I just tried to rush her and put pressure on her serve. She gave me some double faults, especially early on in the match and that’s the pressure I wanted to keep on her. I felt she wasn’t really going for her serve that much. She was trying to hit more heavy kick first serves and stuff like that. I was reading her toss a little bit. I could tell if she went for a kick on the first serve.”
A skittish Sabalenka was struggling to hold serve and to land a series of big forehands.
The Montreal champion navigated a two-deuce game, rapping a backhand winner down the line that helped her hold to consolidate for 4-2.
Pegula continued to pound away, drawing another double fault and wild error for double break point in the seventh game. Instead of playing to larger targets, Sabalenka tried squeezing shots closer to the line and missed a backhand wide. Pegula scored her second straight break for 5-2.
Sabalenka broke back in the eighth game with a forehand winner then held for the first time since the third game to creep closer at 4-5.
Controlling the center of the court, Pegula pushed Sabalenka side-to-side and drew a netted backhand to snatch the 39-minute opener.
It was the first time Pegula took a set from Sabalenka since she beat the Belarusian 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 at the 2020 Cincinnati.
Trying to reset, Sabalenka was struggling for net clearance as she slapped a forehand drive into net. Pegula broke at love—her third break of the match—to start the second set.
Sliding a serve winner out wide, Pegula backed up the break for 2-0.
The depth of the American’s drives limited Sabalenka’s ability to step into the court and take the offensive. Trying to change direction down the line, Sabalenka smacked a forehand into net. Pegula broke for the fourth time for a one-set, 3-0 lead.
Slashing successive aces, Pegula powered through her third love game of the match charging out to a 4-0 lead.
Though Sabalenka gained break point in the sixth game, Pegula pumped her fifth ace out wide to erase it, eventually holding for 5-1.
Serving for the match at double match point, Pegula felt the jitters tossing in back-to-back double faults—her first double faults of the match—then saw Sabalenka laser a forehand for break point. Pegula saved it, but Sabalenka slammed a winner that helped her break back for 3-5.
Shrugging off that stumble, Pegula made a fantastic lunging return that helped her earn three more match points in the next game.
Sabalenka bolted consecutive backhand winners down the line saving two more match points. On the fifth match point, Sabalenka swatted a forehand winner down the line drawing even at deuce.
Driving a deep return that handcuffed the Belarusian, Pegula gained match point number six only to knock a forehand into net.
On this night, nothing would stop Pegula. Defending brilliantly, Pegula rattled out a forehand error converting her seventh match point to seal a one hour, 28-minute victory.