The American Jessica Pegulafifth in the ranking, won this Thursday 6-3, 6-2 in greek Maria Sakkari to pass with perfect performance in semi-finals of the WTA Finals which was played in Cancun, Mexico.
Pegula did the best in the first set where both failed to serve, especially Sakkari, who had five double faults, adding 20 unforced errors, some of them in sets with the court open.
They started with breaks; In the third game, the American took the lead on the European’s serve and, after confirming, extended the lead to 3-1. Another break, with confirmation, gave her a 5-1 lead and, although María won games seven and eight, in the ninth she lost her serve again, giving the North American a lead within 37 minutes.
At the start of the second set, rain, accompanied by winds gusting at 30 kilometers per hour, forced the match to be stopped for several minutes. On the return Jessica grabbed the serve and broke for a 2-0 lead.
frustrated, Greek does not have the capacity to respond to the third ‘game’ and although he fought back in the fourth, two double faults at ‘deuce’ led him to lose serve and find himself 4-0. He made a break in the fifth game, he confirmed; However, Pegula maintained the effectiveness of his drive and the cleanness of his backhand.
He broke Pegula in the eighth game and sealed his third straight victory, saving 100 percent of first serve points and taking advantage of 35 unforced errors from his opponent.
“It was a challenge; I was uncomfortable (because of the wind), but I tried not to do too much.. I feel there is love for me in Mexico and I want to continue here,” said Pegula, last year’s Guadalajara Master 1,000 champion and undefeated in tournaments in the country.
This Thursday, in the most anticipated match, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, number one in the world rankings, will face Kazakh Elena Rybakina, number four, in a match where the winner will advance to the semifinals behind Pegula and the loser will be eliminated.
Sabalenka has a 4-2 advantage in duels with Rybakina, but the Kazakh has won both times they have played this year, in the final of the 1,000 Masters in Indian Wells and in the quarterfinals in Beijing.
The group stage of the WTA Finals will end this Friday, when the Polish Iga Swiatek, second racket in the world, will try to maintain her perfect speed against the Tunisian Ons Jabeur and the American Coco Gauff, third player on the circuit, will be in search. her place in the semifinal against Czech Marketa Vondrousova.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
