Pegula, Krejcikova's Conqueror, First to Qualify for US Open Semifinals
On Tuesday midday in the United States, the quarterfinals kicked off with the first match of the day on Arthur Ashe Court between Jessica Pegula and Barbora Krejcikova.
A finalist at Flushing Meadows last year, the American, ranked 4th in the world, still has points to defend as she aims to replicate her 2024 run in New York. To do so, the 31-year-old player had to overcome the Czech, ranked 62nd globally, who has been playing with confidence in this tournament.
Returning to the tour in May after a long rehabilitation for a back injury, Krejcikova eliminated Victoria Mboko, Emma Navarro, and Taylor Townsend to reach the second week.
This match was not expected to be easy for Pegula, especially since she trailed 2-1 in their head-to-head encounters against the double Grand Slam champion. Since the start of the fortnight, the American player has not dropped a single set against Sherif, Blinkova, Azarenka, and Li, and she aimed to continue this momentum.
Despite some errors in the first set (12 unforced errors in 41 minutes), Pegula took the lead and won the opening set. Boosted by the Arthur Ashe Court crowd, the American then pulled away in the second set with a double break advantage to lead 6-3, 4-1 with serve to follow.
Krejcikova broke back to put more pressure on her opponent, but Pegula tightened her game at the last moment and ultimately prevailed (6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 25 minutes of play).
Pegula can still dream of a second consecutive US Open final and will face Aryna Sabalenka or Marketa Vondrousova, who will play later tonight, in the semifinals.
A quarterfinalist in every Grand Slam tournament of her career, Pegula reaches the semifinals for only the second time, the second time in New York. Her dream of a home Major title remains very much alive.
