"These are the most difficult conditions in which I have played. The main thing was not to get frustrated", commented, in reference to the very windy conditions, the Floridian who will celebrate her 29th birthday next Friday.
She will face the Polish world N.1 Iga Swiatek or the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (11th) on Saturday to try to win the third title of her career.
The American must also play the doubles final in Doha associated with her compatriot Coco Gauff against the pair made up of the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and the Ukrainian Lyudmyla Kichenok.
This final will be played on Friday after the second half of the singles.
In 2021 for his first participation, Pegula had reached the semi-finals in Doha after going through the qualifications.
This year, after saving two match points in the second round against Ostapenko, she finally reached the final without shaking too much.
Faced with Sakkari, the outgoing semi-finalist, the Floridian was indeed better able to adapt her game to the very disturbing wind: she did not play spectacular tennis, but the absence of risk-taking paid off.
Pegula took the Greek's serve three times in the first set and once offered hers on a very bad play.
In the second set, the American led twice with a break lead, but Sakkari came back and, against the run of the game, it was the Greek who scored the decisive break on her second set point.
American Jessica Pegula serving in the semi-final of the WTA Doha tournament on February 17, 2023 in Doha © KARIM JAAFAR / AFP
Sakkari resisted again at the very start of the last round before being overtaken by the quarter-finalist of the last Australian Open.
© 2023 AFP