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09/10 19:55 CDT Aryna Sabalenka moves a win from a 3rd straight US Open title by beating Jessica Pegula Aryna Sabalenka moves a win from a 3rd straight US Open title by beating Jessica Pegula By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) --- Aryna Sabalenka moved a win away from her third straight U.S. Open title, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday night. Sabalenka blasted her way out of what was a dead-even match for most of the first set, pouncing on Pegula's second serves and turning the second set into perhaps her most impressive stretch of tennis in the tournament. "No complaints," Sabalenka said. "I'm just super happy that I was able to pull out such tennis." The No. 1 seed will face No. 2 Elena Rybakina or No. 4 Coco Gauff on Saturday, needing a victory to become the first player to win three in a row in Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams from 2012-14. Rybakina will replace Sabalenka atop the women's tennis rankings next week, and Sabalenka said this week she would be fine ceding No. 1 after she held it 99 consecutive weeks if it she was able to win another U.S. Open trophy. It will be hard to prevent that if she hits the ball Saturday the way she did against Pegula. Sabalenka pounded 29 winners to Pegula's 12, turning their third straight meeting at the end of the U.S. Open into a rout, after her victory in the 2024 final and 2025 semifinals were tight most of the way. "I was so desperate for the win, I wanted it badly," Sabalenka said. She has won 19 straight matches at the U.S. Open since losing to Gauff in the 2023 final. ___ See AP's full tennis coverage here

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