Jessica Pegula has booked her place in the Washington Open final after a straight-sets win over Diana Shnaider. The top-seeded American defeated the Russian 7-5, 6-4 to move one step closer to the title.
Pegula will now face Alexandra Eala in the championship match. The Philippines player earned her spot in the final by beating Japan's Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
The result sets up an intriguing Washington Open final between one of the top-ranked players in the women's game and a breakthrough contender from the Philippines. Pegula, ranked world number three, came through a competitive semifinal with Shnaider, while Eala advanced with a strong performance against Osaka.
With both finalists winning in straight sets, the title match now brings together Pegula's consistency and top-seed status against Eala's momentum after her victory over a former world number one. The Washington Open final will decide the women's champion after two notable semifinal results.
