Jessica Pegula bounces back to beat Karolina Muchova in semi-finals and faces Aryna Sabalenka in US Open final

Jessica Pegula staged a stunning comeback to defeat Karolina Muchova and reach her first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Thursday, where she will face the powerful Aryna Sabalenka for the title. World number six American Pegula recovered from a set and a break down to record a gritty 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over her 52nd-ranked Czech opponent.

Two-time Australian Open champion and world number two Sabalenka reached her second consecutive US Open final after beating another American, Emma Navarro, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2). “I thought I was lucky to be in the final,” Pegula admitted. “She made me look like a beginner, she was destroying me and I was close to crying, but it all came down to little moments. I don’t know how I turned that around.”

Pegula has won 15 of 16 matches on the summer hard-court swing in the United States, where she won the title in Toronto and lost the Cincinnati final to Sabalenka. “It’s a chance for revenge, but it’s going to be tough to beat her,” Pegula said.

Pegula, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal after six painful quarterfinal losses, looked dejected at one point Thursday. The 30-year-old lost the first set in just 28 minutes and quickly went 2-0 down in the second and had to save a break point to avoid falling 3-0 down.

That was the signal for many spectators to leave Arthur Ashe Stadium, unwilling to witness a second American defeat in quick succession. However, Pegula pulled out all the stops to spark an incredible comeback during a rollercoaster finish to a thrilling semi-final, in which she won eight of the last ten games.

Muchova’s 40th unforced error of the match sealed her fate.

On Thursday morning, Sabalenka moved into the final after beating Navarro and a cheering home crowd. Navarro, playing in her first major semifinal, fought back from 3-5 down in the second set to take advantage of a tiebreak.

Sabalenka sent down 34 winners to the 23-year-old American’s 13. “Girls, you’re cheering me on now. Wow. It’s a little late,” Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. “It really means a lot and even though you guys were cheering her on, I got goosebumps seeing you cheering me on. It was an amazing atmosphere.”

The Belarusian added: “I don’t really care who I face in the final, because today was a good test to see how the crowd cheered my opponent. I don’t care. I’m ready to face anyone.”

Navarro, who had lost in the first round in her two previous US Open appearances, admitted that the occasion caught her off guard. “Maybe I didn’t approach it 100% like I wanted throughout the match, but it’s a feeling I will definitely look for again,” she said.

Sabalenka, runner-up in New York last year to Coco Gauff of the United States, used her raw power to secure the first set, negating Navarro’s clever use of angles. Although the American held off an early break, the 26-year-old stormed back ahead in the sixth game before clinching the opening set with 16 winners, twice as many as Navarro.

Sabalenka extended her lead to 3-2 with a break in the second set, while Navarro had to fend off more break points to avoid falling into a 2-5 deficit.

That gave her game a new lease of life and she broke Sabalenka’s serve when her opponent was serving to win the match, tying it at 5-5. She even enjoyed a mini-break in the tiebreak before Sabalenka came back to claim victory.