Aryna Sabalenka eliminates world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in Fort Worth to keep WTA Finals title dream alive

Updated 04/11/2022 at 23:28 GMT

Aryna Sabalenka enjoyed a thrilling 6-3 7-5 win over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth to keep her chances of qualification and winning the season-ending title alive. “I’m just happy that I was really focused from the beginning to the end and I was able to finish this match in two sets,” Sabalenka said after the impressive match.

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Seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka beat third seed Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-5 in a thrilling upset at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth on Friday night.

The win for Sabalenka means the 24-year-old remains in contention - along with second seed Ons Jabeur - for the last qualifying spot in the Nancy Richey Group.

Sabalenka will have to wait to find out if Maria Sakkari can win a set when she locks horns with Jabeur on Friday night.

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If the Greek manages it, she will win the group, while Sabalenka will advance in second place, but if the Tunisian wins in straight sets, then Sabalenka will miss out.

Despite a nervous wait, Sabalenka is still pleased with the way she jousted her superior on the night.

“I definitely was happy with my serve – for the [first] half of the match,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview after the match.

“I’m just happy that I was really focused from the beginning to the end and I was able to finish this match in two sets.”

Sabalenka enjoyed a double break, in the first and seventh games of the opening set, as she took the lead.

With a 5-3 lead and serving for the second set, Pegula managed a break before she drew level to hang on at 5-5.

Sabalenka replied with a break to take the set to a tie-break, and a double fault, an unforced backhand error and a huge backhand cross-court winner closed it out.

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