Pegula pushes past Teichmann and into Madrid title match against Jabeur

Jessica Pegula defeated Jil Teichmann in straight sets to wrap up Thursday’s schedule in Madrid. Ons Jabeur is next in the final, which will be a meeting between first-time WTA 1000 participants.

Jessica Pegula in Dubai in 2021 (Panoramic)

Ricky Dimon

May 6, 2022

Mutua Madrid Open | Draw | Order of play

Jessica Pegula earned a spot in her first-ever Masters 1000 final by beating Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday night. Pegula needed only one hour and 21 minutes to advance.

The 14th-ranked American broke Teichmann four times and did an amazing job taking care of her second serve, winning 70 percent of those points (even more than on her first serve — 63 percent). Pegula started each set strong, seizing leads of 3-0 in the first and 2-0 in the second. Teichmann made a brief charge to reach 4-4 in set two, but the 35th-ranked Swiss dropped serve in the ninth game and then Pegula closed it out.

🇺🇸 Stars and Stripes 🇺🇸

@jlpegula is the third American female player to reach the final at the @MutuaMadridOpen , after Venus Williams (2010) and Serena Williams (2012 and 2013)#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/UUoJFCYj4T
— wta (@WTA) May 5, 2022

“[Teichmann is] a super tricky lefty,” Madrid’s No. 12 seed said. “It was hard because I felt like I couldn’t get a rhythm, really. Maybe the start of the first set she came out a little nervous and I was able to come out strong, which helped. But it was just tricky today.”

Pegula vs. Jabeur for the title

Another tricky one will likely be in store for Pegula on Saturday, as Ons Jabeur awaits in the championship match. It will be a battle between two first-time participants in a WTA 1000 final.

The head-to-head series stands at 2-2 and this will be their first encounter on clay. Jabeur most recently prevailed 6-3, 6-1 on the hard courts of Dubai earlier this year.

“For me and Ons…she was ranked [in the 70s] like two years ago, I think I was like the same. So it’s pretty crazy. It just shows you (that) hard work and determination, playing week in and week out, just trying to get better every week, you can get to the top as long as you believe it. So I think it’s great for both of us. It means a lot to me.”