Jessica Pegula produced a strong and controlled display to defeat Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 and win the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday.
The American, who turns 32 on Tuesday, became the second-oldest woman to win the tournament after Venus Williams, who lifted the trophy at 33 in 2014. It was Pegula’s 10th career title and ended her run of three straight defeats in WTA 1000 finals.
Pegula made a fast start, racing into a 3-0 lead in the first set. She broke Svitolina’s serve with a fine backhand and remained solid on her own serve. The Ukrainian struggled to respond, and Pegula closed out the set comfortably.
In the second set, Pegula stayed calm and secured the key break in the fifth game. She finished the match in style with an ace, handing Svitolina her first defeat in a WTA 1000 final.
