World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka secured her place in the Miami Open final for the first time, achieving a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 6 seed Jasmina Paolini on Thursday. Sabalenka maintained a strong serve throughout the match, progressing to her 12th WTA 1000 final.
Miami holds a special significance for Sabalenka as she resides in South Florida. She mentioned enjoying the comforts of home during the tournament, such as sleeping in her own bed and driving her car. Despite this home advantage, Sabalenka had only reached the quarterfinals twice in her previous six Miami Open appearances, regardless of whether it was held in Key Biscayne or Miami Gardens.
This year marks a breakthrough for Sabalenka, highlighted by her quarterfinal win against No. 9 seed Zheng Qinwen (6-2, 7-5). This victory, her seventh consecutive against the Olympic gold medalist, paved the way for a highly anticipated final. Sabalenka has consistently defeated Paolini in their last three encounters, winning each match in straight sets.
Sabalenka`s path to the final saw her maintain control against Paolini, with the score only being tied at 1-1 in both sets. She delivered six aces, broke Paolini`s serve four times, and concluded the match in 1 hour and 11 minutes. Her next challenge is No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in Saturday`s final. Pegula ended the impressive run of teenage wildcard Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
Over the past two decades, Sabalenka is only the sixth player to reach the finals at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, joining the ranks of tennis stars like Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina.
“I believe this was one of my best performances this season,” Sabalenka commented after the match. “I was extremely focused on my game plan today.”
She added, “Everything felt smooth and in my favor. I`m very pleased with my performance. I felt like I was in the zone.”
Pegula Overcomes Eala in a Thrilling Match
In the evening match, Jessica Pegula battled for 2 hours and 26 minutes to defeat Alexandra Eala, concluding Eala`s remarkable journey in Miami as Thursday transitioned into Friday. Pegula rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set, crucially breaking serve at 5-3 after an Eala double fault, and again at deuce, eventually winning 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3.
The intense three-set match concluded after midnight local time, featuring a strong comeback from Eala after being down a set and a break. The third set remained tightly contested, with neither player losing serve in the first seven games or facing a break point.
Pegula, who also won a late-night match against Emma Raducanu earlier in the week, found the resilience to win the final three games, including a hold to secure the match from 0-30.
“I`m so tired,” Pegula admitted in her on-court interview, acknowledging that she was “pushed to the limit” by the talented young Eala. Eala had previously upset major players like Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in the tournament.
Pegula praised Eala, saying, “She`s a really good tennis player, aggressive, takes the ball early and competes fiercely. She`s already defeated many top players this week, and she undoubtedly has a bright future in tennis.”
Looking ahead to Saturday`s final, Pegula faces Sabalenka with a 2-6 head-to-head record. She aims to win her fourth WTA 1000 title. Last year, Sabalenka defeated Pegula in two significant hard-court finals in Cincinnati and at the US Open in straight sets, although three of the four sets were closely contested, reaching 7-5.
“I think my serve is improving,” Pegula noted. “Serving well will be crucial on Saturday against Sabalenka, as she is an excellent returner.”
Pegula continued, “My return game has been strong, so I believe I have a chance to break her serve, despite her being one of the best servers. She`s a formidable opponent playing with confidence, especially on faster hard courts where she can utilize her aggressive style.”
“I had opportunities at the US Open, leading 5-3 in the second set. Who knows what could have happened. I know I will create chances if I play well, and I will try to learn from our previous matches and capitalize on those opportunities.”
