Pegula hands Sabalenka another third-set bagel to reach Berlin final and make WTA history
Jessica Pegula beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 in a rain-disrupted semi-final at the WTA 500 in Berlin, condemning the Belarusian to a second consecutive deciding-set 0-6 defeat on tour.
Match swings on a rain break
Jessica Pegula took the opening set 6-4 and was a point away from taking control when she led 3-1 in the second-set tie-break, but rain forced a stoppage of more than two hours. After the resumption, Sabalenka won four of the next five points to take the tie-break 7-4 and level the match.
I am pretty chill. I am a pretty level-headed person. I like to soak it all in and I am very aware of what is going on. So I am not overly emotional and I think that is how I try to play.
What followed in the third set was a rout. Pegula broke early and never looked back, reeling off six straight games in a display that left Sabalenka shaking her head.
A historic low for a world No. 1
According to OptaAce, Sabalenka became the first player to lose a deciding set 0-6 in consecutive WTA tournaments since the ranking was first published in 1975. The previous bagel came in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, where Diana Shnaider beat her 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.
I have no thoughts, no emotions. I just want to quit tennis immediately.
The 28-year-old’s frustration was visible in Berlin as she complained about the court and the bounce of the ball. Her unforced error count climbed to 41 for the match, compared with only a single break of the Pegula serve.
Pegula’s numbers underline her control
Pegula hit 33 winners to Sabalenka’s 37, but made only 25 unforced errors. She created 16 break-point chances, converting five, and won 109 points in total to the Belarusian’s 89. The American served out the match after 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Road to the final
Pegula, the 2024 Berlin champion, now advances to face Linda Noskova in Sunday’s final. The match is scheduled for noon on 21 June. Sabalenka, who entered the event as the top seed, will regroup before Wimbledon, which starts on 29 June.
