Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula is making one other deep run on the U.S. Open and she or he claimed her spot within the quarterfinals Sunday with a simple 6-1, 6-2 victory over fellow American Ann Li in New York.
Pegula transformed 6 of 9 break factors and wanted simply 54 minutes to subdue Li, who dedicated 19 unforced errors whereas enjoying in Arthur Ashe Stadium for the primary time.
Pegula subsequent will face two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. Krejcikova staved off eight match factors whereas rallying to a 1-6, 7-6 (13), 6-3 victory over upstart Taylor Townsend.
Krejcikova held a 43-37 edge in winners whereas needing three hours and 4 minutes to complete off Townsend, who was vying to achieve the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam occasion for the primary time.
Townsend dominated the primary set and had an opportunity to shut the deal in straight units. She was main 6-3 in a second-set tiebreaker earlier than letting three straight match factors get away.
The 2 ladies traded massive hits and missed photographs all through the 25-minute tiebreaker earlier than Krejcikova completed off the 98-minute set with a slam. Seven of Townsend’s squandered match factors got here within the second-set tiebreaker.
Krejcikova broke Townsend’s service to make it 4-2 and 5-3 within the third set earlier than ending off a scintillating victory that dissatisfied the pro-American crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“I am completely having fun with this crowd. Regardless that it is not for me, it is wonderful,” Krejcikova mentioned in her on-court interview. “I like the ambiance. I like once they’re cheering. They’re making the match enormous. It is for the Individuals. It isn’t for me.
“I want we had a event in Czech Republic and there have been a whole lot of followers rooting for me. Perhaps in a special life. Not now. I am simply having fun with. I am having enjoyable on court docket. I am so glad I could be right here. It is an enormous privilege that I can play in entrance of such a pleasant crowd on Armstrong.”
Krejcikova’s spectacular displaying snuffed out the desires of the 29-year-old Townsend, a No. 1 doubles participant who’s having fun with the highest singles run of her profession.
“It simply stings as a result of I actually gave every thing,” Townsend mentioned. “She got here up with some actually, actually nice tennis in moments the place she was down, and I believed I had it.”
Townsend misplaced within the first spherical of the opposite three majors this yr earlier than successful her first three matches on the Billie Jean King Middle. She swept No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia on Friday, two days after beating No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in straight units and being on the receiving finish of some disparaging feedback about her lack of sportsmanship.
Pegula, a 2024 finalist, is extra used to being on the massive stage in New York.
“I’ve clearly type of earned that proper over time,” the 31-year-old Pegula mentioned of enjoying in Ashe. “After I was youthful, I by no means hit on Ashe, I by no means performed on Ashe. I used to be all the time on one other court docket, Courtroom 17 or perhaps Grandstand if I used to be fortunate. That is positively modified.
“Particularly right here being an American, I’ve performed rather a lot there now. Perhaps towards somebody that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of reps on that court docket, I feel it’s a little bit like a home-court benefit.”
This marks the third time Pegula has superior to a minimum of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. She misplaced to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in final season’s title match and likewise reached the quarters in 2022.
Pegula has gained simply one in every of three matchups towards Krejcikova. Pegula’s victory got here within the 2023 Australian Open spherical of 16.
On Sunday, Pegula outclassed the 25-year-old Li and was extremely efficient on the internet by successful 12 of 15 factors.
“It is part of my sport I can use as a weapon,” Pegula mentioned. “We have positively labored on that rather a lot. They’re actually glad once I can end some extent with an overhead or a volley on the internet.”
Pegula gained the primary three video games of the match whereas crusing by the primary set. It was extra of the identical within the second as she gained 4 of the primary 5 video games earlier than ending off the match.
Later Sunday, prime seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus cruised previous Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-4, posting extra winners (26-9) and by no means having to save lots of a break level. She superior to the quarterfinals with out dropping a set and can stay the top-ranked participant after the event.
The Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova knocked off ninth-seeded Elena Rybakina of Russia 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in a single hour, 51 minutes. Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon winner, had the sting in aces (13-5) and gained 5 of seven break-point alternatives, to three of 6 for Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion who had extra winners (40-29) and unforced errors (38-15).
—Subject Stage Media/Reuters
