Looking to improve on last year’s WTA Finals semi-finals, Maria Sakkari started Monday’s season-ending event with a round-robin straight-sets win over Jessica Pegula. World No. 5 Greece’s Sakkari beat No. 3 USA’s Pegula 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4). The Nancy Ritchie Group action continued at Dickies Arena later Monday, when Tunisia’s world No. 2 Ons Jabeur (that year’s Wimbledon and US Open finalist) faced No. 7 Alina Sabalenka. fought against. In the Guadalajara WTA Finals rematch that Pegula won last week, she and Sakkari exchanged six breaks in the first set, with Pegula catching two breaks before Sakkari squandered it in a tiebreaker.
After entering the first set, Sakkari took her 3-0 lead in the second set before Pegula survived her points in the match to take her third win this season and break back. Reduced the deficit to her 3-2.
Pegula saved her two match points from service in the 12th game and forced a tiebreak.
But when Pegula try found the net, Sakkari sealed it on her third chance.
“It’s never easy playing against Jess,” said Sakkari, who improved to 4-2 against the American. “She’s a great player. She’s very confident now. I knew it was going to be a very tough match, but I was more confident in my game than I was in the previous one and I played harder. I am happy to have won here.”
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