Aryna Sabalenka qualified for the semi-finals of the WTA Masters, thanks to her victory (6-3, 7-5) against Jessica Pegula combined with the defeat (6-2, 6-3) of Ons Jabeur against Maria Sakkari on Friday in Fort Worth.
The 24-year-old Belarusian, still looking for a first title in 2022, which would be the 12th of her career and moreover the most prestigious, for her second participation in this event, will have the difficult task of facing the number 1 on Sunday. World Iga Swiatek.
The Pole has indeed spread her dominance on the circuit this year, with eight titles won including two majors at Roland-Garros and the US Open.
The other poster of the last square remains to be determined.
If Sakkari was assured of being qualified since Wednesday, her opponent will not be known until Saturday.
It will be the French Caroline Garcia or the Russian Daria Kasatkina.
In the meantime, the Greek did her best to cement her first place in the Nancy Richey group, taking the best of Ons Jabeur, eliminating her de facto.
The Tunisian had to win in two sets, to hope to stay in the tournament.
Sakkari, semi-finalist of the event last year, still looking for a second title on the circuit, after his first gleaned in Rabat in 2019 and four finals lost this year (Saint-Petersburg, Indian Wells, Parma and Guadalajara), confirmed its excellent form at the moment, with this third success in two races in a row.
Sabalenka "
just happy
"
It must be said that Jabeur made it easier for him by accumulating too many unforced errors (31 against 10) to hope for another fate.
Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka had fought a little harder to defeat Jessica Pegula, "
an incredible player, who really made me work tonight
", she said afterwards on the court, saying to herself "
just happy to 'to have been able to stay very focused from start to finish and to have been able to win this match in straight sets
'.
The 24-year-old Belarusian, who now leads 4 wins to 1 in their confrontations, was dominating from the start, taking the service from the American, who was too friable in the service (4 double faults).
And as she was effective on hers (5 aces), it was only logical that she pocketed the first round.
The second set was tighter, because if Sabalenka still broke the first, Pegula was able to erase this delay by taking advantage in turn of the temporary feverishness of her rival, also weighed down by too many double faults (7).
The Belarusian was nevertheless able to put the pressure on his opponent, to seize his service and lead 5-3.
But that was without counting the 28-year-old American, who knew how to react by dropping her shots to unbreak.
In vain because Sabalenka was able to get back in the game in the 12th game and finished in 1h32, rewarded by her aggressiveness (19 winning shots against 12).