Jessica Pegula v Aryna Sabalenka LIVE: US Open women’s final score and updates as American faces World No 2 for title

Pegula forces Sabalenka to serve it out with a strong hold. The American found her first serve there – now she needs to go big on the returns. Can Sabalenka do it?

Quite an untidy game from Sabalenka, veering from hot to cold point to point as Pegula targets the second serve.

Pegula digs in to get to deuce, dragging Sabalenka to six minutes in the longest game of the set so far, but Sabalenka finds her first serve and holds with an ace.

Sabalenka has won just two of nine second serves so far, while Pegula winning 0/4 on hers. The Belarusian moves a game away from the set.

Wow. Brutal power from Sabalenka, right through the middle of the court to blast Pegula away. A big return is followed by a series of blows to get to 15-40 and two breaks points.

And Pegula concedes with a forehand that drifts long. Sabalenka breaks with her third game in a row and will now serve for a 5-2 lead.

Sabalenka responds to a double fault on 30-30 with her fastest serve of the tournament. Pegula fires wide on the forehand and the Belarusian edges ahead with the first set on serve after that early trade of breaks.

There are some vicious forehands from both players already, as Sabalenka lands a big forehand winner against the Pegula serve to get to 0-30.

Pegula conjures an ace out wide, before Sabalenka nets on the backhand. 30-30, and this time Pegula finds an excellent angle on the forehand!

In response, Sabalenka throws herself at the forehand winner crosscourt and erupts behind the baseline after getting to deuce.

A loose forehand from Pegula gives Sabalenka a look a break point. And Sabalenka takes it: almost a copy of the last game, with a brutal backhand return into Pegula’s feet.

Monster return from Pegula on the forehand on 15-15, eventually winning the baseline rally. 15-30, and Pegula finds a return on a big Sabalenka serving, and hangs in the rally to force the miss on the forehand!

Now then. Two break points on 15-40.

WHAT A RETURN! A bomb from Pegula off the forehand side, aimed right at Sabalenka’s feet!

The early break goes to the American.

Some crisp hitting early on from Pegula, who drops the first point on serve but then wins the next four to hold. Sabalenka would want a backhand slice back on 0-15, as it dropped into the bottom of the net.

It’s clear the crowd are fully behind Pegula tonight. Overwhelmingly so.

Pegula lands a stunning forehand winner on the opening point of the match, which is followed by a forehand miss from Sabalenka.

In previous years, Sabalenka might have felt the pressure on 0-30. Instead, she rattles off four big serves to take the hold without another rally.

The rain is pounding on the roof overhead. It’s really loud at court level.

The roof is closed on Arthur Ashe tonight – which is a good call as the heavens have just opened in Flushing Meadows!

It should be an electric atmosphere, especially if Pegula can really give this is a go. Sabalenka is the favourite, just as she was against Coco Gauff last year.

We know what that went: can Pegula pull off the same trick to keep the US Open in American hands? Sabalenka will serve to start.

Pegula and Sabalenka skip through their pre-match tunnel interviews without revealing too much that they haven’t already said before tonight’s final.

And here we go! Both Pegula and Sabalenka walk out onto the biggest court in tennis wearing headphones – Pegula, ahead of her first grand slam final, seems to realise this is a moment she should remember, so lowers them around her neck before waving to the crowd.

James Keothavong is tonight’s chair umpire, as former US Open champion Kim Clijsters, who I think is joined by her eldest daughter, join in with the pre-match photo.

Clijsters, of course, returned to win the US Open after giving birth.