World No1 Aryna Sabalenka narrowly avoided disqualification from the Wuhan Open after throwing her racket in anger during a dramatic semi-final defeat to American star Jessica Pegula.
The Belarusian, who had been chasing a fourth consecutive title at the tournament following victories in 2018, 2019 and 2024, saw her emotions boil over late in the deciding set.
The Wuhan Open had been cancelled for four years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Sabalenka had returned determined to continue her dominance.
Leading 5-2 in the final set, Sabalenka appeared on course to reach another final. But Pegula, produced an incredible comeback by winning three straight games to level the match.
Aryna Sabalenka threw a racquet in a furious outburst during her match with Jes
|SKY SPORTS
The match turned chaotic when Sabalenka threw her racket toward the benches after missing a crucial volley to fall 6-5 behind, narrowly avoiding a ball boy and cameraman.
Sky Sports commentators were left shocked saying: “The racket goes flying — and who has she hit there with the racket? That is dangerous territory for Sabalenka, this semi-final has exploded into life in the last 10 to 15 minutes. Sabalenka gets a warning for the racket abuse, but she is lucky it is not more.”
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Replays showed Sabalenka’s racket had missed both a cameraman and a nearby ball boy, instead ricocheting off a courtside bench before bouncing back onto the playing surface.
The world No1 immediately raised her hand in apology, aware of how close she had come to being defaulted. Had the racket made contact with anyone, she would have been disqualified.
Aryna Sabalenka narrowly avoided disqualification as she missed the ball boy and a cameraman
|REUTERS
Her frustration came after losing two consecutive service games, putting Pegula 6-5 up and within sight of victory. The outburst briefly halted Pegula’s momentum, however, as the top seed was handed an unexpected lifeline when Pegula double-faulted four times while attempting to serve out the match.
That collapse allowed Sabalenka to break back and force a decisive tiebreak, where she had previously won an astonishing 19 in a row.
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But her streak came to an end as Pegula held her nerve to complete a stunning 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory in just over two-and-a-half hours.
Post-match the American said: “For what I did in the tiebreak, I’m just really proud of myself. I’ve played so much tennis the last few weeks, so many three-set matches, but I feel like I’m very tough right now and I’m just using that as best as I can.”
Jessica Pegula won her first match against Aryna Sabalenka
|REUTERS
Pegula’s win marked her first win over Sabalenka in five attempts and secured her place in the final against fellow American Coco Gauff. Gauff earned her spot with a composed 6-4, 6-3 victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.