'Couldn't be happier.' Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula for Cincinnati Open title

‘Couldn’t be happier.’ Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula for Cincinnati Open title

Posted by Admin August 19, 2024 Tennis

It’s Sabalenka’s first hard-court title since 2020.

MASON, Ohio − The first Cincinnati Open women’s singles final between two top 10 opponents since 2017 had the potential to be a classic on Center Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

Aryna Sabalenka had different plans.

Sabalenka, the World No. 3 was dominant from start to finish in beating No. 6 Jessica Pegula, 6-3, 7-5, to capture her first Cincinnati Open title.

“I’ve been trying so many times here in Cincinnati but couldn’t pass the semifinal stage. I’m really happy to get my first trophy,” said Sabalenka, a three-time Cincinnati Open semifinalist. “It was a great tournament. I think I played some decent tennis here.”

Decent is a gargantuan understatement. Sabalenka looked untouchable for over an hour on Monday, using her thunderous serve and powerful groundstrokes to keep Pegula on the move and preventing the American from finding any rhythm.

“I was trying to focus, play my best tennis and keep fighting for every point,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really playing great tennis. Probably not the best tennis I can play, but I’m definitely getting there.”

Pegula didn’t break Sabalenka until the 10th game of the second set, when Sabalenka suffered her first double fault, to tie it 5-5. Sabalenka responded with a break of her own in the next game, then finished off a dominant week of Mason in the 12th game.

Sabalenka didn’t lose a set en route to the Rookwood Cup, winning 62 of 95 total games to grab her first hard court WTA singles title since 2020. It’s Sabalenka’s second singles title of the season and first since defending her Australian Open crown in January.

“Couldn’t be happier,” Sabalenka said. “I was pushed a lot by my opponents, but I think I just played really great tennis and I was focused. I wouldn’t allow the negative emotions to get in my head.”

Sabalenka set the tone with her serve, landing 10 aces, while Pegula suffered through five double faults. Sabalenka tallied six aces in a near-flawless opening set. She finished with a 92%-win rate on the first serve and held a 30-9 advantage in receiving points won.

“When she’s serving well, it’s tough. She was playing at a really high level,” said Pegula, who compared Sabalenka to Serena Williams in her on-court interview. “You run into players that when they’re feeling confident, they’re incredibly tough.”

Sabalenka entered Monday’s final with a 4-2 all-time record against Pegula but was just 1-2 on hard court.

Making her career best run in Mason and riding a nine-match winning streak, Pegula was bidding to become the first player to win the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open in the same year since Evonne Goolagong in 1973.

Monday was Pegula’s seventh WTA 1000 finals since the start of the 2020 season, the third most on the tour behind Sabalenka (7) and top-ranked Iga Swiatek (12).

Sabalenka will pass 2023 Cincinnati champion Coco Gauff for the No. 2 spot in the WTA Rankings heading into the U.S. Open in New York City.

The Enquirer will update this story.