Pegula knocks out Sabalenka to set up Berlin final with Noskova

American Jessica Pegula upset world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-0 victory in the semi-finals of the Berlin Open. The win sets Pegula up for a final showdown against Czech eighth seed Linda Noskova.

Sabalenka, who recently exited the French Open in the quarterfinals, struggled to find her rhythm throughout the match. After a slow start, Pegula secured an early break to take the first set. Following a rain delay, Sabalenka managed to win the second-set tiebreak, but Pegula quickly reasserted her dominance in the deciding set.

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I told myself after I ended up losing that second-set tiebreak that before the rain delay, I had a lot of momentum. She just hit a double fault. I felt like I kind of had it there and I was serving well.

"I told myself after I ended up losing that second-set tiebreak that before the rain delay, I had a lot of momentum. She just hit a double fault. I felt like I kind of had it there and I was serving well," Pegula said after the match. She added, "I was in a good rhythm, and then having to get off court and losing that pretty quickly - only winning one point in the tiebreak was a little tough. But she's No. 1 in the world for a reason and I feel like I gave her too many easy shots and she went for it and that's just what happens."

This defeat marks a significant setback for Sabalenka's Wimbledon preparations. The Belarusian star has achieved considerable success on hard courts, winning four Grand Slam titles, including the 2025 U.S. Open. However, she is still pursuing her first Wimbledon crown, having reached the semi-finals three times previously. Her grass-court struggles continue, as she also lost the Australian Open final earlier this year to Elena Rybakina and was a runner-up in 2023.

“

I was in a good rhythm, and then having to get off court and losing that pretty quickly - only winning one point in the tiebreak was a little tough. But she's No. 1 in the world for a reason and I feel like I gave her too many easy shots and she went for it and that's just what happens.