09/10/26 07:57:00
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09/10 19:55 CDT Aryna Sabalenka moves a win from a 3rd straight US Open title
by beating Jessica Pegula
Aryna Sabalenka moves a win from a 3rd straight US Open title by beating
Jessica Pegula
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Sports Writer
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. "I'm just super happy that I was able to pull
out such tennis."
The No. 1 seed will face No. 2 Elena Rybakina or No. 4 Coco Gauff on Saturday,
needing a victory to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing
Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14.
Rybakina will replace Sabalenka atop the women's tennis rankings next week, and
Sabalenka said this week she would be fine ceding No. 1 after she held it 99
consecutive weeks if it she was able to win another U.S. Open trophy.
It will be hard to prevent that if she hits the ball Saturday the way she did
against Pegula.
Sabalenka pounded 29 winners to Pegula's 12, turning their third straight
meeting at the end of the U.S. Open into a rout, after her victory in the 2024
final and 2025 semifinals were tight most of the way.
"I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly," Sabalenka said.
She has won 19 straight matches at the U.S. Open since losing to Gauff in the
2023 final.
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