World No 4 Jessica Pegula returned to the quarter-finals of the US Open for the third time in her career, dispatching fellow American Ann Li 6-2, 6-1 in emphatic style.
A first-time finalist in New York last season, Pegula is rapidly establishing herself as an outside contender for the title this year, after a dominant performance inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The fourth seed broke six times in total with only a single loss of serve herself. She was particularly impressive behind her first serve, winning 81% of points behind her opening delivery, and also added more frequent forays to the net to further disrupt the rhythm of her opponent.
A talented and experienced doubles player, Pegula is excellent in the forecourt. Yet she hasn’t always utilised this skill as often as she might.
Today, that was a clear tactic, as Pegula herself spoke about in her on-court interview following victory.
“I felt really comfortable moving in today and coming in at the right times, it doesn’t always feel that good, but it started well and I wanted to keep executing that until the last game,” she explained.
“It’s a part of my game I can really use as a weapon. Sometimes I get stuck at the back because I’m so good there, but we’ve worked on that a lot and my coaches are happy when I’m finishing overheads and volleys at the net.”
This year, Pegula is working with US Billie Jean King Cup captain Lindsay Davenport in New York, with the pair’s partnership clearly paying dividends.
“Lindsay has been awesome,” Pegula continued.
“It’s been so fun getting to know her and working with her and playing for her. I know she’s watching here as much as she can – it’s been awesome. I need to post a picture of her signing a giant tennis ball for me years ago, but she said it made her feel really old.”
In the last eight, Pegula will face either two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova or fellow compatriot Taylor Townsend for a place in the semi-finals.
