BREAKING Aryna Sabalenka escapes DQ for dangerous incident as world No.1 apologises

Aryna Sabalenka narrowly missed disqualification from the Wuhan Open for launching her racket during her match with Jessica Pegula. The WTA No. 1 threw her racket in frustration after losing a vital point to the American to make the match 6-2, 4-6, 5-6 and head to a tie-break.

The racket then bounced off her bench before spiralling back towards the court, narrowly missing a cameraman. As a result, Sabalenka put her hand up in apology, as she received a warning from the umpire. However, if the racket had hit someone in the process, she would have faced automatic disqualification from the tournament she has won three times.

After seeing her frustrations get the better of her, Sabalenka ultimately went on to lose the match, with Pegula taking the third and final set 7-6 to stage a remarkable comeback. The World No. 6 will now face fellow American, Coco Gauff, in Sunday's grand final at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre.

Up until her clash with Pegula, it looked as though it was Sabalenka's tournament to take. The 27-year-old, who clinched wins at the Wuhan Open in 2018, 2019 and 2024, breezed through Rebecca Sramkova in the round of 32, before handing Liudmila Samsonova a 6-3 6-2 loss in the round of 16.

A 6-3 6-3 win over Elena Rybakina then ensued in the quarter finals to set up a semi-final clash with Pegula on Centre Court. While Sabalenka looked cool and composed in the opening set of the showdown, cracks started to show in the second.

Sabalenka then lost a vital point in the third set to allow Pegula to creep back into the fold in a tie-break, which she ultimately won 7-6 to take the game, set and match. However, it wasn't just a shot at the title that Pegula stripped from Sabalenka with the win.

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Headed into the match, the Belarusian held an unbeaten streak at the Wuhan Open of 20 first straight-sets - unbeaten in every instalment of the tournament that she had participated in. Sunday's grand final will come as somewhat of a major surprise to tennis fans worldwide, given how much confidence they held in seeing Sabalenka make the final.

A poll on the WTA Tour's official website shows that 51 per cent of voters expected to see Sabalenka vs Jasmine Paolini as the final match of the Wuhan Open, while 33 per cent backed Sabalenka and Gauff to battle it out. Just eight per cent of participants in the poll foresaw a Gauff vs Pegula final, for context.

Despite holding no major Grand Slam titles throughout her illustrious career, Pegula has clinched added nine singles trophies to her cabinet over the years, and will hope to make it 10 come Sunday. However, she will face stiff competition in Gauff to do so, a 21-year-old who already has a decade of singles titles to her name, as well as the 2023 US Open title and this year's French Open crown, courtesy of a win over Sabalenka in the finals of Roland Garros.