A week after she was caught on a hot mic calling her a “diva,” Pegula congratulated Andreeva at the end of their first match of the tour, without further ado. The Russian will face the winner of the second semi-final between Elina Svitolina and Linda Noskova in Sunday’s final.
Twice behind, twice in control
Pegula struck first. She broke 2-1 down in the opening set, but Andreeva broke straight back on her third break point, at the end of a long game, then saved two break points to hold for 3-2. The Russian broke again at 5-3 on her second chance and served out for the set after saving another break point.
The second set followed the same pattern. Pegula broke 3-1 down while Andreeva won five of the last six games. In the next game, he came back from 0-40 down, broke again at 4-3 and closed out the match on his first match-pony, serving for 5-4.
Andreeva converted four of her nine break points and won 77% of her first serve points (30 of 39). Pegula, who saved five of the nine break points he faced, had no aces and four double faults.
Eight sets of eight with tracks from Evert and Serena
Andreeva’s week was perfect. after beating Svitolina and: Arina Sabalenkaboth 6-4, 6-0, he won her group, beating substitute Diana Schneider. In four matches, he won eight sets from eight and 48 games, conceding just 18.
That puts him in select company. She is only the fifth player not to reach the finals on her debut, after Chris Evert and Kerry Reid in 1972, Lindsey Davenport in 1994 and Serena Williams in 2001, and the first to do so in a circuit tournament.
At 19 years 193 days at the start of the event, she is also the third youngest WTA finalist this century, according to Opta, behind only Maria Sharapova in 2004 (17 years 205 days) and Kim Clijsters in 2002 (19 years 151 days). The youngest semi-finalist at the event since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009 is sure to be the world No. 2 on Monday as well after defeating Sabalenka in the group stage.
2022 runner-up Pegula cruised through Group 1 narrowly after Saving a point against Noskova in its final group game.