The final of the women’s singles of theUnited States Open repeats the result achieved in January in the final act of the Australian Open. Aryna Sabalenka raises her second Slam of the season to the New York sky by beating the American 7-5 7-5 Jessica Pegula. For the Belarusian champion, number 2 in the world and in the draw, it is the third Slam ever after the two consecutive ones in the trophy cabinet in Melbourne. The game is played with the roof covered due to the bad weather and the final, in the Italian night, could have ended half an hour early if Sabalenka had not been distracted by a set ahead and clearly ahead 3-0 in the second. But it is precisely the fear of disappointing the American fans that inflames the American, seeded number 6, who with a partial of 5 consecutive games arrives to serve for the second set ahead 5-3. But at this point there is the last kick from Sabalenka who dominates the last 4 games and signs the most important victory of her career by letting herself fall to the ground in the immense Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The match is enjoyable, has a good pace and the crowd appreciates it. Pegula is the first to enter the match, hers is the break of the third game, but she doesn’t confirm it and slowly Sabalenka’s aggressive tennis takes over the match. The Belarusian is a machine gun, she extends with the break of 4-2 and takes it to 5-2. At 5-4 she serves to close the set but gets stuck, at 5 all she is forced to save a delicate break point and finally at 6-5 she breaks her rival on the fifth set point after the American has missed a ball to cling to the tie-break. In the second set Sabalenka’s inertia continues until 3-0 and the point of 4-0. At this point there is the reaction of the American who arrives to serve to extend the match to the third. But at 5-4 she slips down 0-40, cancels the first two opportunities but capitulates on the third. The epilogue comes closer when she goes down 15-40 in the twelfth game. The American saves the first match point but not the second. After one hour and 53 minutes she is the champion. (ITALPRESS) – (CONTINUED).
Sabalenka is the absolute queen of outdoor hard courts: in the last four Slam tournaments played on hard courts she has won 27 matches out of 28, losing only to Coco Gauff in the final at Flushing Meadows last year. The last tennis player to win in the same year in Melbourne and New York was German Angelique Kerber in 2016. The others who have done so in the Open era were Steffi Graf (1988 and 1989), Monica Seles (1991 and 1992) and Martina Hingis (1997). “I am focusing on myself, on my progress as a player and as a person. I hope to see myself at the top of the rankings one day”, is her wish. Swiatek permitting
