How Sabalenka won the US Open: Aryna Sabalenka holds her nerve to beat Jessica Pegula and win the US Open

Serving to stay in the match, Pegula claims the opening point. She loses the second though after an unstoppable forehand by Sabalenks finds the sideline, 15-15.

A 40th winner from Sabalenka makes it 15-30. Deep Sabalenka forehand and Pegula’s forehand is long, two championship points.

Sabalenka slices a defensive forehand into the net on the first. Big Sabalenka forehand, Pegula anticipates it but her forehand goes long. GAME SET MATCH SABALENKA!!

Double fault Sabalenka, her first of the set, 15-15. A sign of nerves? No. Because she wins the next three points to hold and make Pegula hold to take the set into a tiebreak.

Huge game for both players coming up.

Brilliant backhand overhead smash by Sabalenka, 0-15. Great balance and feel on the shot. Big hitting by Sabalenka and Pegula puts a forehand long, 0-30. Then a backhand long after Sabalenka digs in and refuses to miss. Three break points.

Pegula saves the first. Then the second when Sabalenka just misses the baseline with a backhand down the line. Third time lucky for Sabalenka as she finds the sideline with a forehand winner.

Yet another momentum shift as Sabalenka breaks.

If I said Sabalenka would need to serve to stay in the set 20 minutes ago, that would have been laughable. But that’s where we are right now and the Belarusian is looking flustered.

Pegula applies the pressure here however Sabalenka comes through to hold to 30. Huge moment for Pegula coming up.

Frustration is building for Sabalenka as she nets a forehand, 30-0. 30th unforced error by Sabalenka makes it 40-30. Pegula double faults after thinking the first serve was a let.

But she consolidates the break and gets a standing ovation from the home crowd. Arthur Ashe Stadium has come alive.

Pegula is on fire right now and she earns a break point to move ahead in the set. Sabalenka’s first serve has gone AWOL and her grunts are getting increasingly louder.

A change up from Pegula as she hits a slice down the line, Sabalenka moves across to it and hits a forehand slice but nets.

What a turnaround as Pegula breaks again for her fourth game in a row.

Pegula is feeling it now and the momentum has swung back towards her. She races to 40-0 with a forehand winner before Sabalenka pegs her back to 40-30.

Great defence by Sabalenka and Pegula nets a forehand, deuce. Pegula eventually gets over the line and holds to level the set.

Pegula needs to lift the crowd and hope that rattles Sabalenka, who has looked very strong mentally so far.

A backhand into the net by Sabalenka and Pegula moves to 15-30. Wild forehand by Sabalenka goes well long, two break points for Pegula out of nowhere.

Sabalenka saves the first. But not the second. 101mph first serve by Sabalenka, Pegula anticipates it and drills a backhand down the line, Sabalenka slices a defensive forehand long and we are back on serve as Pegula breaks.

A forlorn look on Pegula’s face as she is beaten by another forehand winner from Sabalenka, 15-15. Winning the first set has allowed Sabalenka to settle and swing freely. Pegula is playing tight and nervous.

Sabalenka finds the baseline with a forehand winner down the line and earns a break point. Brave forehands by Pegula and she draws the error, deuce.

Relief for Pegula as she finally holds to end Sabalenka’s run of games.

Seeing a graphic which sees the average rally hit point for both players. Sabalenka is striking the ball inside the baseline and Pegula is over a metre behind.

The power from Sabalenka has been too much and the problems increase for Pegula as Sabalenka ruthlessly holds to love.

Sabalenka is marching to victory at the moment.

No let up from Sabalenka as her pressure results in two break points at 15-40. She can’t break on the first but she does on the second when Pegula double faults.

The American throws her racket to the ground. Uphill task for her now.

How will Pegula respond now? Winning the first set should give Sabalenka even more confidence and she already hit 25 winners, compared to 11 for Pegula.

A service hold to 30 by Sabalenka continues her momentum which Pegula must find a way to stop.

Kind of a shame it didn’t go to a tie-break because that was a wonderful set of tennis. I counted 25 clean winners from Sabalenka, whose whole vibe fits the tiger tattoo on her forearm. She is looking to savage you with every shot. J Peg doing a good job of taming the beast – but not quite good enough.

Trouble for Pegula as she nets a forehand, 15-30. She then nets a backhand and decides to change her racket again with Sabalenka at 15-40.

Longest rally of the match so far, Pegula holds her own and Sabalenka blinks first when she pushes a backhand long, 30-40. Timely first serve by Pegula and both set points are saved to her relief.

Oh no. Pegula error on the easiest shot of the match when she puts a backhand into the net, third set point. Sabalenka forehand into the net, back to deuce.

She brings up another set point with a running forehand winner down the line. Another first serve found by Pegula when she’s in trouble and Sabalenka nets the return.

First double fault of the match for Pegula. Terrible time for it as it gives Sabalenka a fifth set point. Sabalenka drop shot, Pegula gets there but can’t get the ball over the net and Sabalenka breaks to take the first set.

Wow.

A ninth unforced error on the backhand side puts Pegula ahead in the game at 0-15. Pegula forehand return winner, 30-30. Sabalenka double faults again and repeatedly whacks her racket on the court. Break point Pegula.

Brave backhand winner down the line by Sabalenka and it’s deuce. Sabalenka asks for some support and she gets it after a volley winner. They then cheer against her after she hits her fourth double fault.

However, Sabalenka comes through another mammoth service game to book at least a tiebreak for herself. Will Pegula join her there?

It’s never truly a break of service unless you consolidate it and Pegula puts herself in position to hold by racing to 40-0. She’s won 12 of the last 15 points and the errors are mounting up for Sabalenka.

The Belarusian gets on the scoreboard with a backhand winner then Pegulas sees a forehand deflect off the net cord and fly wide. The American needs the next point badly. And she gets it when Sabalenka nets a backhand.

On we go in this topsy-turvy first set.

Great hustle and defence by Pegula to turn the point around and Sabalenka nets a forehand, 15-30. Backhand to backhand exchange, cagey rally and Pegula nets. My lip-reading skills detected an expletive after that miss!

But Pegula will be happier now after Sabalenka hits a double fault to give up a break point. Wow. Massive forehand winner by Sabalenka blasts by Pegula.

Pegula earns another break point though when Sabalenka nets another forehand. Sabalenka forehand long and Pegula breaks back.

Pegula has switched rackets multiple times in the match. Clearly not happy with the tension of her strings. But to be honest, the bigger concern is the massive ball striking from Sabalenka which means she is having to counter punch in the majority of the rallies.

However, Pegula does hold to 15 here and makes Sabalenka serve for the set.

Too good from Sabalenka as she finds the baseline with a forehand winner down the line but she goes for too much with a backhand it’s deuce.

Sabalenka’s first serve bails her out of trouble and she consolidates the break.

Another deep Sabalenka return rushes Pegula into an error, 15-30. Sabalenka plays the next point on her terms, dictating with her forehand and finishing with a winner to give herself two break points.

Pegula forehand long and Sabalenka breaks to claim her third game in a row.

Ominous times for Pegula now.

Fantastic start to this final with Sabalenka in particular playing what the commentator Mary Carillo has dubbed “big babe tennis”.

She touched 119mph with her penultimate serve in that last game. Interesting to see whether she can avoid the regular errors that undid her last year against Coco Gauff. Pegula defends well, but not as well as Gauff.

Double fault by Sabalenka is cheered by the home crowd, 30-all. Sabalenka responds with an overhead winner and holds with Pegula puts a forehand wide.

This match is shaping up nicely.

Back comes Sabalenka as she takes Pegula to deuce with a blistering forehand winner then earns a break point when Pegula sends a forehand long.

And just like Pegula did in the previous game, Sabalenka hits a huge return that proves to be too hot for her opponent and she breaks straight back.

First break points of the final go to the underdog as Pegula moves to 15-40 when Sabalenka puts a forehand wide.

What a return by Pegula. Right at the feet of Sabalenka, who can’t redirect the ball back into play.

Pegula breaks!

Huge roar for Pegula as she holds to 15 confidently. If she can continue finding her first serve that consistently, it gives her a chance. If she gives Sabalenka too many looks at her second serve, she will be in trouble.

The match started amid deafening white noise from a downpour reverberating on the roof. Now it has calmed down in the second game and we can hear the mighty Saba-strike. When she connects with a groundstroke, it stays hit.

Torrential rain in New York means the roof is covering Arthur Ashe Stadium. That should help Sabalenka more with no variable conditions. But under the roof it can become very humid and hot which can be problematic for players.

Sabalenka falls to 0-30 but four first serves in a row and she recovers to hold. An early demonstration of the power the Belarusian possesses.

Pegula and Sabalenka make their way onto court and past the trophy they are playing for tonight. Pegula started walking out with her headphones covering her ears but removed them to hear the great reception she received from the home fans.

No doubt who is the fan favourite here.