Jessica Pegula details miraculous comeback in U.S. Open semifinal

Jessica Pegula was a break away from going down 0-3 in the second set after losing the first set, 1-6, in Thursday's U.S Open semifinal against Karolina Muchova.

The American would miraculously come back to win the second set, 6-4, and the decider, 6-2, to clinch a berth in the final. After the win, Pegula was asked how she regrouped after the first set, which saw her win only 4/11 of her first-serve points and 7/26 receiving points. The native New Yorker pointed to the fourth game in the second set when Muchova overhit a ball in a long rally, which allowed her to save her serve.

"When she missed that volley, it was a momentum swing," Pegula said. "The crowd really helped get some adrenaline into me. I was very, very flat. I wasn't even nervous, I was just super flat. And she's tough to play when you're flat... I was able to get some adrenaline and my legs under me. After that, once I had some rhythm, I was able to be a little more aggressive and get to the net. I was able to dictate with my forehand a little bit and find my game. But, it was really holding that game in the second set."

Once Pegula's forehand started clicking, she seemed like a different player than the one who got steamrolled by Muchova in the early goings at Arthur Ashe Stadium. In the third set, the American won 65 percent of her first-serve points and an impressive 11/21 of her receiving points. Furthermore, she won 7/9 of her net points once she picked up her aggression, forcing her Czech foe into a defensive mindset.

It was only fitting that Pegula — the oldest American woman in history to make a maiden major final — had to endure those early setbacks before her victory. The 30-year-old was never pegged to make it this far in the year's final major after her second-round exits at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Pegula's Cinderella story continues this Saturday as she faces World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. She incidentally lost to the Belarusian in the final of last month's Cincinnati Open. However, she owns several career wins over Sabalenka, including the semifinals of last year's WTA Finals in Cancun.