Aug 1 (Reuters) – Top-seeded American Jessica Pegulabeat Russia’s Diana Shnaider 7-5 6-4 on Saturday and set up a Washington Open final against the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, who defeated Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-4 6-2.
World number three Pegula is seeking her third title of the year and 12th of her career after winning in Dubai and Charleston. The 32-year-old won her first WTA title in Washington in 2019.
The 22-year-old Shnaider, who reached this year’s French Open semi-finals, was bidding for her sixth WTA title. She raced into a 5-2 lead in the opening set, but Pegula began her comeback by holding serve before breaking in the ninth game.
The American then held to love to level the set at 5-5, broke again in the next game and served out the set when Shnaider sent a forehand wide.
Pegula broke for a 3-2 lead in the second set and extended her advantage to 5-2 with another break before closing out the match with a forehand winner after 87 minutes.
“I just capitalised on a couple of areas,” Pegula said. “I think I started just trying to find the rhythm on the return. I didn’t think I was that far off … So, just trying to pick up my energy and again, try and be a little bit more aggressive.”
Eala moved within one win of her first WTA title after delivering a composed performance against four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka.
The 21-year-old, playing in her third semi-final this year, reached the last four after beating second seed Elina Svitolina for her sixth win of the season over a top-10 opponent.
Eala, who made the fourth round at Wimbledon last month, broke Osaka in the ninth game of the opening set after they had been level at 4-4, then held to love to take the opener.
She carried that momentum into the second, breaking in the opening game and again to move 4-2 ahead before sealing victory without dropping a set during her run to the final.
“I think I played really well and, of course, it’s such a meaningful match against a great player.So really happy to share the court with Naomi,” Eala said.
“I’m in the final for a reason. I just have to trust myself. She (Pegula) is such an amazing player. I think it’s going to be a really good match,” she added.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)