FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Ons Jabeur rallied for a three-set victory over Jessica Pegula on Wednesday night, keeping alive the U.S. Open finalist’s hopes of advancing out of group play in the WTA Finals.
Jabeur won the last three games in each of the second and third sets in her 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory after dropping seven consecutive games early in the match.
A loss would have put Jabeur at risk of elimination in round-robin play after the second-ranked Tunisian dropped her opening match when Aryna Sabalenka rallied after losing the first set on the indoor hard court at Dickies Arena.
It was just the second win in the past nine matches against a top-10 opponent for Jabeur, who also beat Pegula in the Madrid final on clay in May.
No. 3 Pegula, who was set to play doubles with fellow American Coco Gauff in the final match of the day, has lost nine in a row against top five foes.
Pegula temporarily kept alive her hopes for the semifinals by winning a set, but is a long shot after falling to 0-2 in her WTA Finals debut. Jabeur also is in the season-ending event for the first time.
No. 7 Sabalenka faced fifth-ranked Maria Sakkari in the late match of the tournament that was moved to Texas from China because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former government official there of sexual assault.
Coronavirus restrictions also played a part, and WTA Tour Chairman and CEO Steve Simon hopes the event can return to China.
Jabeur, the first African woman to reach the WTA Finals since Amanda Coetzer in 2001, rallied from love-40 to hold in a five-deuce first game of third set, then Pegula saved two break points to get even at 3-3.
Pegula couldn’t do it again, losing at love on her serve to give Jabeur the chance to close out the match.