Pegula crushes Sabalenka in deciding set bagel to reach Berlin final

The match

Jessica Pegula dispatched top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 in the semifinals of the WTA 500 Berlin Open, a contest marked by a severe collapse from the world number one. The American broke serve to lead 2-1 early and closed the first set in 45 minutes. Sabalenka rallied in the second, building a 5-2 lead and holding two set points before Pegula broke back and forced a tiebreak. Rain interrupted the tiebreak with Pegula leading 3-1 after a Sabalenka double fault, but when play resumed after a delay of one to two and a half hours, Sabalenka seized six of the next seven points to win the set 7-4.

Sabalenka’s mental lapse

Instead of building on that momentum, Sabalenka disintegrated in the decider. She won just four points across the final four games and failed to hold serve once, suffering her second 6-0 deciding set in four matches after Diana Shnaider did the same at Roland Garros. Sabalenka had previously escaped a 6-2, 4-0 hole against Nikola Bartůňková in the quarterfinals, but there was no comeback this time.

“I feel like I need to figure out what's happening, sometimes, in those matches to move on and to avoid these situations happening.”

Pegula’s composure

Pegula, who had lost five of her previous six meetings with Sabalenka, credited her calm demeanour. The 32-year-old saved break points early, attacked Sabalenka’s forehand (ten unforced errors in the first three games), and held her nerve in the third set.

“I don't get super emotional. People used to tell me when I was younger that I need to yell more and jump up and down. Honestly, it feels like a waste of energy to me. I just try to be myself.”

What’s next

Pegula will face either Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic or Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in Sunday’s final. Eala, a 21-year-old wildcard who upset Elena Rybakina earlier in the tournament, is the first Filipina to break into the WTA top 50. For Sabalenka, the defeat sharpens questions about her grass-court form ahead of Wimbledon, where she has reached three semifinals but holds a 1-4 record against top-10 opponents.