By Janina Nuno Rios
NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Jessica Pegula reached the U.S. Open semifinals for a third successive year, coming from a set down to beat Emma Navarro 3-6 6-4 6-3 in an all-American clash on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old will face two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in a rematch of the 2024 final after securing her fifth straight win over her compatriot, including a victory at last month’s Cincinnati Open.
The clash, dubbed by American media as the “Battle of the Billionaires” because of their backgrounds, began more than an hour later than scheduled after Frances Tiafoe’s marathon victory over Alex Michelsen in another all-American contest.
The wait did little to help either player find their rhythm, with the match instead marked by errors and few sustained bursts of momentum.
The 26th seed had the edge in a scrappy opening set as both players struggled to settle. They traded early breaks and each hit five double faults, with an extra break allowing Navarro to move one set ahead.
The miscues continued in the second, but Pegula found a slight improvement that allowed her to level the match, finishing a long exchange with a fine forehand winner to make it one set apiece.
Pegula carried that momentum into the decider, where an extra break put her in control before she closed out the victory.
“It was really tough, really physical, I wasn’t serving my best, I was fighting a lot of demons out there,” Pegula said on court.
“I do a great job on having a short term memory, I know everytime I come out no matter what I have to tell the negative me to shut up and just play tennis and compete.”
The victory was also Pegula’s 50th of the season, making her the first player on the women’s tour to reach that mark in 2026.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New York; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus and Michael Perry)
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