Ajla Tomljanović’s terrific run in Texas has come to an end, falling to American first-seed Jessica Pegula in the semifinal of the WTA Tour event in Austin. 

The Australian fought back from a set down, but was defeated 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in a near two-hour battle.

Ranked 111th in the world, Tomljanović was a heavy underdog coming into the match with the world number four. 

The Australian was erratic with her serve in the opening set, delivering seven double faults.

But Tomljanović showed plenty of nerve to fight back in the second set and send the match to a decider. 

The three-time grand slam quarterfinalist could not complete the upset as the American powered into her second final of the year. 

“We were a little hit or miss with our serves today … it was pretty hot today, the ball was kind of flying, but once I started serving a little more consistent, smarter [that was the key],” Pegula said.

“Every final is new … being the first time I’ve played here, being in the US, I like doing well and I always want to show that I’m one of the best Americans, one of the best players in the world, so being able to do that on home soil is always special.”

Tomljanović, a former world number 32, will re-enter the world’s top 100 next week after her terrific week.