Washington (United States) (AFP) – Jessica Pegula, seeking her third title of the year, advanced to the women’s final of the WTA and ATP Washington Open by defeating Russia’s Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4 on Saturday. World number three Pegula, who won her first WTA title in 2019 at Washington, fell behind 5-2 at the start but battled back to reach her fourth final of the year.
“It was playing a little bit slow. She’s a lefty. It’s tricky,” said Pegula. “I just kept telling myself it’s just one break. Just keep holding. I found a little rhythm on the return, served a little bit smarter and I was able to play some good tennis, kind of take control of the momentum.”
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The 32-year-old American top seed will play Sunday’s final against the winner of a later match between Alexandra Eala of the Philippines and Japan’s 13th-ranked Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner. Pegula beat Eala in a 2025 Miami semi-final in their only career meeting while she is 1-1 against Osaka, winning on Rome clay in 2021 after losing at Beijing in 2019.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Pegula said. “Alex, I’m a big fan of her. She’s the future of the tour and she’s already here. Naomi is one of the best hardcourt players in the world.” Pegula, a semi-finalist at this year’s Australian Open, seeks her 12th career WTA title after hoisting trophies at Dubai and Charleston this season.
Shnaider grabbed a 5-2 lead at the start but Pegula charged back to capture the next five games and take the first set in 45 minutes. The Russian served for the set in the eighth game but Pegula broke, held at love, then broke again and held for the set when Shnaider sent a forehand wide. In the second set, Pegula broke for a 3-2 lead when Shnaider netted a backhand and took a 5-2 edge with a break on a forehand winner. Shnaider broke in the eighth game but Pegula served for the match again in the 10th game and smashed a forehand winner to advance after 87 minutes with her WTA-best 38th match triumph of the year.
“All of a sudden you’re overthinking it,” Pegula said of the end. “You know the finish line is almost there. It makes you hesitate a little bit.” Shnaider, a semi-finalist at this year’s French Open, missed a chance for her sixth WTA title and first since last August at Monterrey. Eala, a 21-year-old left-hander chasing her first WTA title, is in her third semi-final of the year after beating second seed Elina Svitolina for her sixth victory of the season over a top-10 opponent. It will be the first meeting between Eala, who reached the fourth round last month at Wimbledon, and Osaka, who seeks her eighth career WTA title and first since taking the 2021 Australian Open.
– Men’s semi-finals –
In the later men’s semi-finals, 10th-ranked Taylor Fritz will face 33rd-ranked Brandon Nakashima in an all-American matchup while Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo meets 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar. Fritz seeks his 11th career ATP title and first since last year at Eastbourne. By reaching his third semi-final of the season, Jodar is assured of breaking into the top 20 in the world rankings for the first time. Jodar won his first ATP title in April at Morocco while Nakashima’s only ATP title came at San Diego in 2022. Tabilo, ranked 30th, seeks his fourth career ATP trophy after winning at Auckland and Mallorca in 2024 and last year at Chengdu.
© 2024 AFP
