In the second match of the Bacalar Group at the WTA Finals 2023, Jessica Pegula beat the world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka with the result of 6-4, 6-3. The American tennis player dominates the first set. Her defense is impeccable and when she commands the exchange, she moves the Belarusian, who finds it difficult to push as she would like. A superiority that takes them up to 5-2. Called to serve for the set, the North American first gave two break points, then lost one of the break points. On the second attempt, Pegula doesn’t miss. She places the first serve and after a rally leads Sabalenka to a backhand error. The second set, from a player who has never lost a match when she won the first set in this 2023-48-0 statistic, begins like the first. The tennis player from Buffalo shows off her entire repertoire and takes the lead again: 3-0 to easily close the match. As before, however, Pegula again falls into the mistake of losing the first advantage. She had two match points, she lost serve and postponed winning the match. However, Sabalenka thinks about reducing the time. At 3-5, the Belarusian finds herself having to defend a 0-40. She cancels four match points in this game, six in total in the match, but in the end Jessica Pegula is the first semifinalist of these Finals. Below the highlights of the match shared by the WTA YouTube page:
Elena Rybakina eliminates Maria Sakkari
To determine who will be the second semifinalist of this group, the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will be decisive. The Kazakh tennis player, in fact, won her second match in Cancun by beating the reserve Maria Sakkari with the result of 6-0, (4) 6-7, 7-6 (2). The Greek did not arrive in the best conditions at this tournament and it shows above all in the first set, where she is punished with the fourth bagel of this tournament. She finds herself alone as the games go by, managing to win the second set tie-break thanks also to a double fault by the Slam champion. The third set tie-break, however, was dominated by Rybakina. The backhand that gives her the first mini-break is only the opener, but it is an ace that closes the match. Thus, Maria Sakkari is eliminated from these Finals.