Jessica Pegula advances to finals of Miami Open, will face top seed Aryna Sabalenka

MIAMI GARDENS — The rematch is on in Miami.

Jessica Pegula, who lives 40 minutes from Hard Rock Stadium, in Boca Raton, didn’t have the crowd on her side in the epic semifinal battle late Thursday night against the new kid on the block, 19-year-old lefty Alexandra Eala.

But that should change in Saturday’s Miami Open final when No. 4 seed Pegula faces Belarusian No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka in a rematch of their U.S. Open final bout, won by Sabalenka.

Both players are making their Miami Open finals debut. Sabalenka also lives in South Florida – in Miami.

“I’m one of the best hard-court players in the world and she’s the best hard-court player in the world,” Pegula said of the matchup. “It’s going to be tough. Hopefully I can get the better of her here. That would be awesome. But I’m also really proud that I can put myself up there with one of the best hard-court players in the world.”

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Pegula, the 31-year-old daughter of the Pegula family that owns the Buffalo Bills, has lived with her family in Boca Raton since she was 13. Though she’s made three Miami Open semifinals in four years, she has never gotten this far. Now she goes for her fourth WTA 1000 (point) title.

 A Pegula championship will vault her over her Palm Beach County neighbor and former doubles partner, Coco Gauff, in the world rankings for the three spot.

“Making another final of a 1000 is huge,’’ Pegula said. “Just super excited to where I put myself at the beginning of the year, and I have always felt like I could win this tournament. I have always had really good results, always gone deep. Sometimes at tournaments you have that feeling, and this has always been one of them (I feel I should win).”

The Hard Rock Stadium crowd watching the semifinal pulled for the Filipino fairy-tale story to keep going. Eala had beaten three major champions during her miracle run as a wild card here. The lone Filipino on tour, she had entered the tournament ranked 140^th.

The semifinal match leaked into Friday morning with Pegula winning in a roller-coaster 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 victory in a brilliantly played contest that ended at 12:40 a.m.

Pegula had to be spectacularly resilient to triumph as she fought off a set point in the first stanza when Eala double-faulted two straight times serving at 5-3. Then Pegula seized control and was up 3-1 in the second set before Eala rose up again and forced a third set.

“I think (she is) playing with nothing to lose and just going for her shots,” Pegula said. “I kind of let up at 3-1 and I felt like I totally let her back in the match, but she started ripping the balls, going for her shots. Sometimes you have to weather the storm with people like that. I wish I would have gotten it done in two, but happy with the way I fought in the third.”

In the 2 hour, 26 minute match, Eala displayed stardom tendencies – a crafty lefty with drop shots, deft volleys and a big forehand that can dictate points. Pegula moved extremely well and used her trademark counterpunching ability to repel Eala’s bullets.

Eala’s funky lefty serve, however, baffled Pegula at times with the speed going as low as 70 mph.

“I think I stayed calm in the big moments,” said Pegula, who also was sharp in her few forays to the net.

Jessica Pegula still searching for first major tennis title

In her first major final, Pegula wasn’t up to the task of taking out Sabalenka in Flushing Meadows last September, but it was tight – 7-5, 7-5. Sabalenka has won three majors while Pegula still is searching for her first one.

“I’m serving a little bit better (than last September),” Pegula said. “Hopefully I can serve well Saturday. I think that’s something you have to do against her. She returns really well. I have been returning well, so I always feel like even though she’s one of the best servers in the world, I can give myself a chance maybe to break her. But she’s tough. She’s playing with a lot of confidence. She likes a little bit quicker hard court. I had chances at the U.S. Open, up 5-3 in that second set.”

“We always (have) great battles,” Sabalenka said of Pegula. “She’s a great player. If we think about serve or groundstrokes or even volleys, everyone can play great shots. I think it’s all about mental part of the game. Maybe mentally in some of the moments I’m a bit tougher than her.”

As in Flushing, the Miami fans should be rooting for the American who is adored by all Bills fans. Pegula was born in Buffalo but as a kid moved to Pittsburgh before Boca.

“Hopefully I got the crowd on my side,” Pegula said. “I hope I will.”

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jessica Pegula vs. Aryna Sabalenka in Miami Open finals rematch of US Open