Jessica Pegula advances to quarterfinals at Mubadala Citi DC Open
Posted : 04 August 2023
In a thrilling match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, American No.1 Jessica Pegula secured her spot in the quarterfinals by defeating fellow-American Peyton Stearns with a score of 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday afternoon.
Pegula's victory marks her return to the courts after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals last month. This achievement puts her in her eighth quarterfinal of the year.
As the World No.4, Pegula is back as the No.1 seed for the second consecutive year, reminiscing about her significant milestone of winning her first career WTA title in Washington in 2019. She attributes that moment to being a turning point in her career, which has been on a steady rise since then.
Her next challenge will be a highly anticipated quarterfinal against wild card Elina Svitolina on Friday. Svitolina, who returned to the WTA Tour in April after a 12-month maternity leave, has been in remarkable form, achieving straight-set wins over former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka and No.5-seed Daria Kasatkina. With an impressive overall match record of 16-3 since late May, she secured a title in Strasbourg and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Pegula acknowledges Svitolina's remarkable journey and resilience, calling her an amazing competitor and player. She highlights the new perspective and outlook Svitolina brings to her game after becoming a mother and overcoming challenges in her country. Pegula knows it will be a tough match against the determined Ukrainian.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk caused an upset by defeating World No.6 Caroline Garcia of France with a convincing score of 6-2, 6-3, advancing to her fourth quarterfinal of the year. Kostyuk has shown her mettle against top-ranked opponents, improving her record to 2-14 lifetime against Top-10 players.
In the quarterfinals, Kostyuk is set to face defending DC champion Liudmila Samsonova, who boasts a perfect 7-0 record in Rock Creek Park, dating back to her title triumph last summer. With two talented players vying for a spot in the semis, the excitement in the tournament continues to build.
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