World number one Aryna Sabalenka saw her remarkable 20-match winning streak at the Wuhan Open come to an end as Jessica Pegula staged a dramatic comeback to reach the final, where she will face Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka, who had won the tournament three times in a row, looked set for another final appearance after taking a 5-2 lead in the deciding set. But Pegula, 31, dug deep and won four games in a row to turn the match around.
The Belarusian saved two match points to force a final-set tie-break but couldn’t hold on, as Pegula dominated the decider to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) and end Sabalenka’s incredible run in Wuhan.
Earlier in the day, French Open champion Coco Gauff advanced to her first final since winning in Paris in June, overcoming a shaky performance to defeat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3. Despite winning in straight sets, Gauff struggled with her serve, hitting seven double faults and being broken five times in a match that saw 11 consecutive breaks of serve.
“I’m really happy with how I played today. It was tough, especially with my serve, but I did what I needed to get through,” Gauff said afterwards. “Both Sabalenka and Pegula are great players, and I’ve lost to them both before. But I’ll focus on my game and control what I can.”
