Pegula tops Sabalenka to reach Wuhan final vs Gauff

Jessica Pegula rallied from a break down in the final set to upset world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 in Saturday’s Wuhan Open semifinal at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, ending Sabalenka’s run at the tournament and setting up an all-American final against Coco Gauff. The match lasted two hours and 20 minutes and featured a dramatic late outburst by Sabalenka that drew warnings and broad attention.

Pegula recovered after dropping the first set, breaking Sabalenka early in the second to square the match. In the deciding set Pegula trailed 5-2 before mounting a comeback that included breaking Sabalenka when the world No. 1 served for the match. Sabalenka then levelled, but Pegula prevailed in the final-set tiebreak to earn the victory. “For what I did in the tiebreak, I’m just really proud of myself,” Pegula said after the match, adding she had adapted her strategy and stayed mentally tough after a stretch of long matches.

The contest was overshadowed by an on-court incident in the 11th game of the third set. After a wide backhand, Sabalenka threw her racket toward the bench in frustration; it struck a bench and rebounded toward the court, narrowly missing a...