Pegula 4-3 *Krejcikova
Barbora Krejcikova is being very ambitious with her return position and instead of being a 6-0 set, she is now back on serve.
Tennis is a strange game like that.
Jessica Pegula hit a double fault in game seven, her second of the match, and then she was forced into an error by her Eastern European opponent.
Krejcikova could have found herself a set down. Instead she will be serving to level up at 4-4.
Pegula* 4-2 Krejcikova
Jessica Pegula has adopted an aggressive stance and is trying to get on top of the second serve.
This is forcing errors from Barbora Krejcikova, who is feeling the pressure.
She is clearly struggling with the sun in her face at midday in New York City.
A second double fault hands a break point to the Buffalo-born star.
But then a forehand into the net from the home player saves Krejcikova from going 5-1 down.
In a surprise tactic, she showed she is able to serve-and-volley and that method allows her to wrap up the game.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, is courtside but when she was picked up on the TV cameras, she was texting on her phone.
So perhaps the action is not that exhilarating yet to grab her full attention…
Pegula 4-1 *Krejcikova
Serving with the sun in her eyes, Jessica Pegula moves 4-1 ahead and closer to clinching the first set.
She shouted “come on” as she sealed the fifth game.
There was a 96mph ace down the line that almost took the racquet out of the hand of Barbora Krejcikova.
She is showing why she is the world No.4.
The last time these two played each other, at the WTA Finals last November in Riyadh, Krejcikova won 6-3 6-3 in 69 minutes.
But Pegula was not fit then due to a knee problem and she ended up pulling out of the season-ending tournament.
Pegula* 3-1 Krejcikova
Barbora Krejcikova, who served this time from the shady part of the Arthur Ashe stadium, gets on the board this time – after 17 minutes.
But Jessica Pegula had a break point and the chance to go 4-0 up.
Krejcikova hit a 102mph ace down the centre which prevented the American from breaking twice.
There is a fist clench and a brief smile flashes across her face.
The former Wimbledon champion has been standing from the baseline and hardly ventured towards the net.
Jessica Pegula hits the ball so flat and this means it flies very low for her opponent – so tricky for a rival to combat.
Pegula 3-0 *Krejcikova
Barbora Krejcikova is a mentally strong player – she did save eight match points against American ace Taylor Townsend in the last round.
She hit bravely and aggressively in that clash and went for her shots.
And she has also succeeded at the highest level of the sport.
But she will have to dig into those reserves again as Jessica Pegula heads to her chair for the changeover firmly in control.
Pegula produced her first double fault as her second-serve ace missed the line by two millimetres.
But it mattered little as she held serve.
Pegula* 2-0 Krejcikova
Before her first serve, Barbora Krejcikova took SIX balls and then threw two of them.
They are only a game old but clearly she is clearly quite pedantic about the condition of the balls.
The Czech had to serve from the sunny side of the court.
And the sun was clearly in her eyes when she tried to hit a smash but completely missed the ball.
It meant Jessica Pegula went love-40 ahead and then an awful double fault handed the break to her American opponent.
What a terrible start for Krejcikova.
