Washington (AFP) – Top seed Jessica Pegula staged a final-set rally to defeat Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 and reach the final of the WTA Charleston Open clay court tournament on Saturday.
Pegula, who ousted defending champion Danielle Collins in Friday’s quarter-finals, looked to be in trouble after falling 4-2 behind in the decisive set to leave Alexandrova serving for a 5-2 lead. But Alexandrova handed Pegula a lifeline with a shaky service game, and after finding herself down 15-40, gifted her opponent a break with a double fault.
Pegula then held to level at 4-4 and although Alexandrova also held for a 5-4 lead, Pegula was clearly in the ascendant. The American leveled on serve at 5-5, and then grabbed a crucial break in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead to leave her serving for the match. Pegula soon held two match points at 40-15, and although Alexandrova saved the first with a crosscourt forehand into the corner, Pegula lasered a backhand down the line to clinch victory.
“That was a tough match — it wasn’t the prettiest,” said Pegula, adding that blustery conditions had caused problems for both players. “It was really windy — there were some awkward shots and we were both very uncomfortable,” she said. “On some short balls and low balls, it was kind of swirling. I was just trying not to get frustrated.”
Pegula will now face Sofia Kenin in Sunday’s final. Kenin advanced after semi-final opponent, eighth-seeded Amanda Anisimova, retired hurt in the first set. Anisimova needed a medical timeout trailing 2-1 in the first set after appearing to suffer a hip injury. The American was always struggling for mobility from that point and retired after falling 5-2 behind.
“It’s never nice to see,” Kenin said of her opponent’s injury. “I felt like she was struggling, so you try to keep it as respectful as possible, taking it point-by-point. It’s unfortunate for this to happen.”
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