Two of the top three players in the world. Little or no rhythm. A smashing war – there were 19 of them. “A bit like a roller coaster”, summed up Jessica Pegula after defeating world number one, Iga Swiatek, and securing her ticket to the National Bank Open final , Saturday afternoon.

Pegula, 3^e world, won it in three sets of 6-2, 6-7 (4) and 6-4. So this is where Iga’s journey to the IGA stadium ends – allow us this pun one last time.

“It’s always fun to beat the best player in the world,” Pegula dropped an hour after her victory.

We can imagine.

But let’s say it wasn’t easy.

To be honest, neither player had a great game. None managed to establish their rhythm. To summarize summarily, Swiatek was broken 11 times and Pegula, 9. The latter nevertheless managed to capitalize more on the mistakes of her Polish opponent, for whom nothing worked as expected.

“This week, it seems that we all have problems with our service, even those who are the best in this regard on the circuit, noted the winner. It’s weird. Looks like the conditions [font en sorte que la balle] swirls. »

It’s also the first time the players have tested the Wilson Extra Duty balls – rather than the Regular Duty balls – which are the balls used on the men’s side, she recalled. “I think they’re a bit heavier, so they don’t have the same effect on the racquet, or we’re just not used to it. »

Still, the 29-year-old reached the OBN final for the first time in his career. In 2021 and 2022, his journey had stopped in the semi-finals.

“I hope the third time is the right one and that I will win the tournament also tomorrow,” said the main interested party.

The Adventures

From the start of the first round, we understood that this match would not be easy. The two players exchanged breaks twice before Pegula finally won a first serve game to take a 4-2 lead in the first set.

Swiatek’s misadventures continued. In her fourth service appearance, the Pole was broken for a fourth time. It’s as if nothing was working for the world number one. The will was there, but not the precision. Too often, she made mistakes when trying to win.

After this first set, Swiatek left the field with her newspaper and towel, as she had done the day before against Danielle Collins. She came back a few minutes later and seemed to regain some composure at the start of the second set. She won the first two games, but then the roller coaster resumed.

The players broke seven more times in that set, until they had to fight for the tiebreaker.

In the break, Swiatek trailed 4-2 when the song Cotton Eye Joe began to play in full exchange. Pegula was about to hit the ball when the referee called for Swiatek to return his serve. There, the crowd began to chant “Let’s go, Iga, let’s go!” “. The Pole won the next five points, forcing a third set.

“I just thought it was funny,” Pegula said of it. It’s never happened to me, even less with Cotton Eye Joe. I thought to myself: is this really happening? Of all the songs…”

“I don’t know if I would have won the point. Maybe. I would have led 5-2, but that doesn’t mean I would have won the tiebreaker,” she added.

In the final set, Swiatek took a 4-2 lead, but Pegula had learned from the past two hours. She knew that nothing was decided. The American appropriated the next four games to finally win her ticket to the final.

“I was starting to get frustrated that I wasn’t keeping my serve, but at the same time I knew she was having trouble with hers too. […] Basically, it was to see who could consolidate the break,” explained Pegula about this end of the game.

Swiatek, always not very expressive at a press conference, had difficulty explaining the events.

“I’m not sure what happened when I was leading,” she said. I will have to watch and analyze the match because she was fighting for every point, and so was I. It was a complicated match. »

A beer to celebrate?

This is only the second time in 2023 that Pegula has reached the final of a tournament; the last time was in Doha, in February, and she was beaten by… Iga Swiatek. This time, she will face either Liumidla Samsonova or Elena Rybakina, two lower ranked players than her.

After the meeting on Saturday, an old video of Pegula resurfaced on social media. We see the American, Heineken in hand in a press conference after a defeat against Swiatek at the United States Open a year ago.

“Maybe I’ll treat myself to a beer after the tournament,” Pegula chuckled.

For now, it’s time for rest and preparation. Because his first triumph of the year is within reach.