Jessica Pegula reveals what she said to her coach before third set against Amanda Anisimova

Jessica Pegula came from a set down to beat Amanda Anisimova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 and reach the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

It was an all-American affair in Dubai, and it was Anisimova who got off to the better start with a dominating opening set.

Pegula then recovered, though. She held on in the second before seeing it out in the third to reach her first final since Korea Open back in October last year.

Pegula will face either Coco Gauff or Elina Svitolina as she bids for her first tournament win of the new season.

Pegula says she was just glad to be playing a decider

Speaking after the match, Pegula talked about how things unfolded and why it took her a while to settle in.

“At the start of the third, it was 1-1, and I said to my coach I’m just happy I’m even here right now,” she admitted.

“She was playing some incredible tennis. I just came out a little slow, and when you come out slow against Amanda [Anisimova], she can wipe you off the court.

“Honestly, I’m not really sure [what I did to turn it around]. I held on to my serve in the second set. I kept telling myself that.

“I had some break points in the first set, even though I didn’t take any, and I knew I could get some back. That was really all I was focusing on.

Pegula then spoke about how her head-to-head record with Anisimova is now 5-0 in her favour despite having one of her toughest opponents yet.

“It’s a really tough match-up. It’s not like they are easy match-ups,” said Pegula.

“But if you’re not taking your chances against these top players it makes things very hard.”

Jessica Pegula’s head-to-head records vs. Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina

Pegula holds positive head-to-head records against both potential final opponents, with a 2-1 advantage over Svitolina and a 2-0 lead against Gauff.

So on paper, she shouldn’t be too concerned about who comes through the other semifinal.

The real question is whether she can overcome her recent struggles in high-stakes finals.

The American has lost her last four appearances in major finals. She is 3-4 in WTA 1000 title matches, 0-1 in both the WTA Finals and Grand Slam finals.

Time will tell if Pegula can break that streak and pick up a win in the Middle East.

The Dubai Tennis Championships final between Pegula and either Svitolina or Gauff will take place on Saturday, February 21st.

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