Brisbane International: Kostyuk downs Pegula to set up final clash with Sabalenka

Brisbane- Marta Kostyuk extended her impressive run at the Brisbane International on Saturday, cruising into the final with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 win over third seed Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.

The 16th-seeded Ukrainian has emerged as one of the tournament’s standout players, having already knocked out second seed Amanda Anisimova and two-time WTA 1000 champion Mirra Andreeva earlier in the week. She carried that momentum into the semifinals, delivering a relentless performance that gave Pegula little opportunity to settle.

Kostyuk was ruthless from the outset, racing through the opening set without conceding a single game. She maintained the pressure in the second set, winning the first three games to build a commanding 6-0, 3-0 lead. Although Pegula managed to get on the scoreboard in the fourth game, her resistance was brief. The American squandered a break-point chance in the next game and failed to generate another opening as Kostyuk sealed the match in straight sets.

The statistics underlined Kostyuk’s control. She fired four aces, converted four of eight break-point opportunities, and saved both break points she faced. The victory was only her second against Pegula in six encounters and completed a remarkable week in which she defeated three top-10 players.

Kostyuk will now face world No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Sabalenka advanced earlier with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Karolina Muchova, reaching her third successive Brisbane final without dropping a set and remaining on course for back-to-back titles.

Saturday’s final will be Kostyuk’s first at the Brisbane International, marking significant progress for the 23-year-old, who had previously exited the tournament in the second round on two occasions. It will also be her first final since Stuttgart in 2024 and presents an opportunity to claim her first title since Austin in 2023.

The championship match will be the fifth meeting between Kostyuk and Sabalenka, with the Belarusian holding a 4-0 head-to-head advantage, all victories coming in straight sets. Ranked world No. 26, Kostyuk will be aiming to reverse that trend and secure her second WTA title.

“I started unbelievably, and we’re all human beings, so I knew it wouldn’t last forever,” Kostyuk said after the match. “I’m very happy with how I stayed focused until the end.”

With inputs from IANS