No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula failed to reach the Beijing final in a devastating way after blowing three match points and picking up a heartbreaking 3-6 6-1 6-7 (6) loss to 26th-seeded Linda Noskova.
After failing to create any break points in the first set and losing it, the American tennis star instantly bounced back by opening a 5-0 second-set lead and serving out for a decider in the seventh game.
Early in the third set, Pegula was twice up by a break but twice saw her lead slip. Still, the No. 5 seed put herself in a great position to win after claiming a break in the 11th game to go 6-5 up. Serving for the match, the American had three match points - two of which were consecutive - but failed to get over the finish line.
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In the third-set tie-break, Pegula also had a 3-1 and then 5-4 lead. But once again, it wasn't enough for the No. 5 seed to get the job done as Noskova stunningly came back to steal the win and reach her maiden WTA 1000 final.
A bit ironically, Pegula pulled off a major at the start of the Beijing tournament when she saved three match points to beat Emma Raducanu in the second round 3-6 7-6 (9) 6-0. Now, she is probably feeling the same way Raducanu felt after their match.
Noskova set for the biggest final of her career after upsetting Pegula
Noskova, who lifted her maiden WTA title in Monterrey last year, will look to collect her second main glory when she takes on No. 3 seed Amanda Anisimova in the Beijing final. For the 20-year-old Czech, this will be the biggest final of her career. On the other side, the American is set for her third WTA 1000 final, and she also has two Grand Slam finals on her resume.
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Noskova defeated Anisimova in their first meeting in 2023 Indian Wells, but lost to the American when they met on the grass courts of Eastbourne this past summer.
