Pegula rallies past Anisimova to enter Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final

Jessica Pegula maintained her flawless record against Amanda Anisimova with a stirring 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback victory to book her place in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final on Friday.

In a rematch of their recent quarter-final at the Australian Open, Pegula recovered from a set and a break down to secure her fifth win in as many meetings with Anisimova. The fourth seed advanced to her eighth WTA 1000 final — and her first in Dubai.

Pegula has now reached at least the semi-finals in each of her last seven tournaments, a run stretching back to the 2025 US Open, and Friday’s triumph marked the 21st final of her career.

“At the start of the third it was 1-all and I looked to my coach and said, ‘I’m just happy to still be here right now,’” Pegula said.

The American, who turns 32 on Monday, added with a smile: “That would be an amazing birthday present (if I won the title). I’m not going to mention how old I’m turning. I came here believing I could play well in these conditions, and I’m giving myself a shot at winning the title tomorrow.”

In only the second all-American semi-final in the tournament’s history, Anisimova made the sharper start, racing to a 3-0 lead and wrapping up the opening set in under 30 minutes. She broke early again in the second set, threatening to pull away, but Pegula gradually found her rhythm. After a flurry of service breaks, it was the fourth seed who steadied to close out the set and force a decider.

With momentum firmly on her side, Pegula struck first in the final set, carving out a 4-1 advantage with a perfectly judged lob.

That cushion proved decisive as she completed the two-hour comeback to remain unbeaten against her compatriot and move within one win of the title.

“I was running a lot,” Pegula said in her press conference. “I knew I had to use my legs, get my feet under me ... get my feet under and stay in the points because she was hitting a really big ball. I was just having trouble, like, starting the points.

“I had to really make it a little physical there for a while. Then obviously at the end when I gained that momentum, it felt like there was a little bit of a lull in the energy where she was maybe, I don’t know, a little tired. It was definitely mental and physical at the end.”

The end result was a turnaround in Anisimova’s fortunes -- just 24 hours earlier, she had pulled off a comeback of her own, defeating Mirra Andreeva 2-5, 7-5, 7-6(4) from 6-2, 2-0 down.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Russia’s Vera Zvonareva powered into the doubles final in Dubai with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian and Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the semi-finals.

The experienced German-Russian pairing made a confident start, breaking serve early in the opening set and dictating play with aggressive returns and sharp movement at the net. Their chemistry was evident throughout, as Siegemund’s tactical awareness complemented Zvonareva’s consistency from the baseline. The pressure told midway through the set, allowing them to close it out 6-3 with controlled, high-percentage tennis.

The second set proved far more competitive, with Cristian and Ruse raising their level and matching their opponents shot for shot. Long rallies and tight service games kept the contest finely balanced, neither side willing to concede ground. Despite facing resistance, Siegemund and Zvonareva remained composed in the decisive moments, forcing a tiebreak.

In the breaker, their experience on the big stage proved decisive. They handled the crucial points with clarity and calm, capitalising on a mini-break opportunity before sealing the match in straight sets.

Earlier, Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani reached final with a hard-earned 4-6, 6-2 (10-6) victory over Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic.