Jessica Pegula and Ons Jabeur are the last two women standing at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open.
Playing her second consecutive WTA 1000 semifinal, 12th-seeded Jessica Pegula opened with a 3-0 lead against Jil Teichmann. The American was close to establishing a double break lead, but Teichmann then threatened to level the set to 3-3 by earning a break back. However, Pegula once again took her opponent’s serve and consolidated it with a love hold, eventually finishing the set on her third set point minutes after the clock hit midnight in Madrid.
Pegula opened the second set with a break and held on to it until the eighth game, when Teichmann made it seem possible that the late night match could be prolonged to the third set. However, Pegula cut short the Swiss’ hopes, breaking her back right away and marching to a 6-3 6-4 victory.
The 28-year-old Pegula is currently on a career-high ranking of No.14. The American has a chance to make her Top 10 debut after Madrid if she wins the title.
Earlier on Thursday, Ons Jabeur confidently defeated qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2 6-3 and became the first Arab player reach a WTA 1000 final. The eighth-seeded Jabeur lost just six points behind her first serve in the entire match, while in the second set she conceded just four points in her service games.
Currently ranked No.10, Jabeur is sure to rise to No.8, and could move to No.7 by winning the title.
Pegula and Jabeur are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head record. The Tunisian won their last two meetings, but they’ve never faced each other on clay.
