Again it was the tale of two halves on Friday at the Wuhan Open with Jessica Pegula again the subject of a destiny that sees her embroiled in real battles to the end while Aryna Sabalenka again cruised through in the tie seen as game of the day.
Pegula has had six three set wins in seven consecutive matches in the past few weeks which begs the question, how far can she go playing like this and not getting a straight sets win. She saw off qualifier Katerina Siniakova 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 on Friday and is into the semi-finals in Wuhan for the first time.
That pretty remarkable stat is certainly not a world beater but also it is a pretty incredible indictment of Pegula’s fighting grit and spirit that she manages to grind out the result even with her back against the wall. On Friday, she dropped the first set 6-2 in just over 30 minutes as it looked like she had hit a wall after over 15 hours on court in the last 13 days.
But if you’re writing Pegula off do so at your peril. She managed to rally and find the goods. She stormed through the second set in just 23 minutes delivering a bagel to force a decider. She broke serve in the final set after a pretty back and forth start on their respective serves. She consolidated for 4-2 and she was forced to save break points from there at 4-3 up against the Czech ace in a part of the match that could’ve changed the complexion of the whole tie. But she stayed firm including in trying to win the match.
She turned the tables and after going 40-0 down, she flipped it round just like she did the first set into the second and broke to win.
Sabalenka Sweeps Past Rybakina to Reach Wuhan Semi-Finals
Aryna Sabalenka delivered a dominant performance to dispatch Elena Rybakina in what was arguably the most anticipated of the Wuhan Open quarter-finals. The Belarusian made light work of her opponent, avenging a recent defeat and underlining her status as World No.1.
Their previous meeting in Cincinnati saw Rybakina cruise to a 6–1, 6–4 victory just over a month ago, and with the Kazakh leading their head-to-head 7–5, another close contest seemed likely. However, Sabalenka turned the tables in emphatic fashion, needing just one hour and 25 minutes to secure a convincing win and book her spot in the semi-finals.
Next up for Sabalenka is Jessica Pegula, who will need to find a way to halt the world number one’s impressive momentum. Pegula may take comfort in her endurance, with a three-set battle perhaps offering her the best chance to challenge Sabalenka’s power.
Following her victory, Sabalenka paid tribute to both her opponent and the enthusiastic local crowd.
“I feel a really great connection with the Chinese fans — I feel at home every time I play here. Honestly, that’s just crazy,” said Sabalenka. “Elena is a great player and a very nice person. It’s always tough to play against her. We have a big history, with great battles that push me to my limits. I’m super happy with my performance today and really grateful for all the support in the stadium. Thank you, guys, for coming.”
