Jessica Pegula outlasts Alexandra Eala in three-set battle, eyes revenge on Sabalenka

Jessica Pegula secured a hard-fought victory over 19-year-old sensation Alexandra Eala, winning 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Miami Open final. Pegula advances to her first-ever Miami Open final after falling in the semifinals in both 2022 and 2023. She will face Aryna Sabalenka, seeking revenge for the 2024 US Open final.

It was a tough match for Pegula against an impressive level from the Filipino Eala, who secured a massive 65-spot jump in the rankings and will enter the WTA top 75 for the first time in her career.

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Pegula survives Eala’s early surge

Just like in her previous matches, Eala stepped onto the court with confidence despite the ranking gap. The world No. 140 broke immediately to take a 2-0 lead, but Pegula quickly broke back to level the match.

The difference in shot speed between both players was evident. Pegula tried to dictate play with her backhand, hitting several winners, but Eala was solid from the baseline. The Filipino chased down shots from all over the court, forcing Pegula into errors.

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Eala broke again and surged to a 5-2 lead. However, she squandered a set point on her serve, and Pegula held her own to even the score at 5-5. Both players held serve from there, but in the tiebreak, the American showed her experience to take a set that could have gone either way, winning 7-6(3).

Eala overcomes injury scare 

Eala maintained her high level in the second set, with both players defending their serves early on. At 2-1 for Pegula, the Filipino called for a medical timeout after twisting her ankle in the last rally. Despite returning in good physical shape, Pegula took advantage and broke to go up 3-1.

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Eala, however, was not going down without a fight. The set turned into a rollercoaster, with both exchanging breaks—two for Eala and one for Pegula. At 5-5, Eala was slightly more consistent on serve, landing 80% of her first serves compared to Pegula’s 65%. A final break for the Filipino tilted the set in her favour, and she converted her second set point to take it 7-5, extending the drama in Miami.

Pegula proves too strong in the third set

The third set was a high-tension battle, with both players holding serve convincingly. The world No. 4 struggled against Eala’s relentless defense but proved her class in the key moments. Both held serve comfortably until 4-3 for Pegula. That’s when the first opportunity of the set came, and the American seized it. Pegula broke and then held serve to seal a much tougher win than the rankings suggested: 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3.

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Pegula reaches her sixth WTA 1000 final (three titles) and her third final of the season. She previously finished runner-up in Adelaide (to Madison Keys) and won the ATX Open against McCartney Kessler.

She will face Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday in a rematch of the 2024 US Open final. Sabalenka leads the head-to-head 6-2 (2-0 in finals). If Pegula wins, she will overtake Coco Gauff in the rankings and equal her career-best ranking as world No. 3.

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