NewzNEW YORK, United States (AFP)—Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a third consecutive US Open crown on Thursday, storming into the final with a straight sets demolition of American third seed Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka – who beat Pegula en route to US Open wins in 2024 and 2025 – punched her ticket to Saturday's final with a 7-5, 6-2 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. The 28-year-old Belarusian, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, swatted aside Pegula with a dominant service game and a fearsome array of powerful groundstrokes.
Sabalenka will face the winner of Thursday's other semi-final between second seed Elena Rybakina or fourth seed Coco Gauff -- who beat Sabalenka in the 2023 final. On the evidence of her semi-final win, Sabalenka will head into the final bristling with confidence after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula's dream of a first ever Grand Slam title. "I'm super happy I was able to play such tennis," said Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners.
I wanted it so badly." Both players gave away little in the first set, serving superbly to keep the match on serve until the 12th game, with Sabalenka leading 6-5. It was Pegula who would blink first, finding herself down 0-40 after a barrage of hefty groundstrokes from Sabalenka, who clinched the set when Pegula duffed a return into the net. Sabalenka kept the momentum rolling in the second set, attacking Pegula's suspect second serve and grabbing the crucial break for a 3-1 lead when she lasered a forehand into the corner.
The rest of the set went with serve until the eighth game, when Pegula hit a return long to give up match point. Sabalenka sealed victory with another ferocious forehand. NEW YORK: Aryna Sabalenka moved a win away from her third straight US Open title, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday night.
Sabalenka blasted her way out of what was a dead-even match for most of the first set, pouncing on Pegula’s second serves and turning the second set into perhaps her most impressive stretch of tennis in the tournament. “I’m just super happy that I was able to pull out such tennis.” The No. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates her victory after her women's singles semi-finals match of the US Open.
(EPA Images pic)NEW YORK: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a third consecutive US Open crown on Thursday, storming into the final with a straight sets demolition of American third seed Jessica Pegula.Sabalenka – who beat Pegula en route to US Open wins in 2024 and 2025 – punched her ticket to Saturday's final with a 7-5, 6-2 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.The 28-year-old Belarusian, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, swatted aside Pegula with a dominant service game and a fearsome array of powerful groundstrokes.Sabalenka will face the winner of Thursday's other semi-final between second seed Elena Rybakina or fourth seed Coco Gauff -- who beat Sabalenka in the 2023 final.On the evidence of her semi-final win, Sabalenka will head into the final bristling with confidence after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula's dream of a first ever Grand Slam title."I'm super happy I was able to play such tennis," said Sabalenka, who sent down seven aces and 29 winners. NEW YORK (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka moved a win away from her third straight U.S. Open title, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday night.Sabalenka blasted her way out of what was a dead-even match for most of the first set, pouncing on Pegula's second serves and turning the second set into perhaps her most impressive stretch of tennis in the tournament.“No complaints,” Sabalenka said.
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