U.S. Open: Jessica Pegula beats Karolina Muchova; to face Aryna Sabalenka in her first Grand Slam final

Jessica Pegula overcomes a slow start to defeat Karolina Muchova, setting up a U.S. Open final against Aryna Sabalenka.

Jessica Pegula could do no right at the outset of her first Grand Slam semifinal. Her opponent at the U.S. Open on Thursday *(September 5, 2024) night, Karolina Muchova, could do no wrong.

“I came out flat, but she was playing unbelievable. She made me look like a beginner,” Pegula said. “I was about to burst into tears, because it was embarrassing. She was destroying me.”

Pegula managed to shrug off that sluggish start and come back from a set and a break down to defeat Muchova 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 for a berth in the final at Flushing Meadows. The No. 6-seeded Pegula, a 30-year-old from New York, has won 15 of her past 16 matches and will meet No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka for the title on Saturday.

Sabalenka, last year's runner-up to Coco Gauff at the U.S. Open, returned to the championship match by holding off a late push to beat No. 13 Emma Navarro of the United States 6-3, 7-6 (2).

It will be a rematch of last month's final at the hard-court Cincinnati Open, which Sabalenka won — the only blemish on Pegula's post-Olympics record.

“Hopefully I can get some revenge out here,” said Pegula, whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. “Playing Aryna is going to be really tough. I mean, she showed how tough she is and why she’s probably the favorite to win this tournament.”

Things did not look promising for Pegula early Thursday. Not at all.