Prime Time: Pegula Powers Past Anisimova Into Maiden Australian Open Semifinal

By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Photo credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty for Australian Open

Staccato steps reverberated around Rod Laver Arena.

Jessica Pegula barely uttered a word in this all-American Australian Open quarterfinal vs. Amanda Anisimova, but her feet never shut up.

Riding fast footwork, a stinging serve and baseline precision, Pegula powered past Anisimova 6-2, 7-6(1) into her maiden Australian Open semifinal.

“It’s awesome. I’ve been able to go deeper at the US Open the last couple of years, but here was the first Slam I really broke through,” Pegula told Coco Vandeweghe in her on-court interview. “I feel like I play some really good tennis here. I like the conditions here. 

“Even the matches I’ve lost, I feel like I’ved played well. So I’ve been waiting for the time when I can break through.”

The 31-year-old Pegula made history becoming the first woman in the Open Era to reach her first three Grand Slam semifinals at age 30 or older. 

The sixth-seeded Pegula has not dropped a set charging into a semifinal showdown against fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina.

In today’s first quarterfinal, Rybakina slashed her 11th ace down the T, sealing a 7-5, 6-1 sweep of Iga Swiatek in style. Rybakina, like Pegula has not dropped a set en route to the semifinals.

“She’s very experienced opponent and she moves well, and also her ball stays quite low,” the 6’1″ Rybakina said of Pegula. “So that makes a bit difficult sometimes to play her, but I
will try to adjust.

“Yeah, we’ll see who is going to win. I talk with my team. We make some plan for the match. Yeah, will try to do my best, definitely.”

The 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina has split six career meetings vs. Pegula.

“She has a massive serve, big groundies, she’s cool as a cucumber and she’s been playing great tennis,” Pegula said of Rybakina. “I’m gonna do my best to hopefully crack the code against her and we’ll see how it goes.”

Though Pegula may not quite be the brightest light in U.S. women’s tennis, she continues to overshadow fellow Americans when they face off. This was the first AO all-American quarterfinal since 2021 when Pegula’s buddy, Jennifer Brady, beat her. 

Contesting her 28th major, Pegula defeated Anisimova for the fourth time in as many meetings. Additionally, the Buffalo-born Pegula has now won 14 of her last 15 meetings against compatriots—she beat McCartney Kessler and dethroned defending-champion Madison Keys en route to this quarterfinal—-with her lone loss to a fellow American in that span coming to former doubles partner Coco Gauff in the 2025 Wuhan final.

One reason Pegula is undefeated against the powerful Anisimova is she’s more comfortable from more areas of the court and is the better mover. 

In fact, you can argue Pegula’s greatest strength is the lack of a significant weakness. She can do everything well and today she shored up her most vulnerable shot—the second serve—winning 64 percent of her second serve points against one of the game’s most devastating returners.

In an ideal start, Pegula pounded a backhand return down the line to break in the opening game. Pegula smacked successive aces winning seven of the first eight points in snatching a 2-0 lead.

The Wimbledon runner-up saved a break point with a forehand drive volley winner to get on the board in the third game.

Though Anisimova hits harder, Pegula was taking the ball earlier and redirecting the ball with command effectively using the fourth seed’s power against her.

Slicing a shrewd slice smash for Love-30, Pegula jammed Anisimova with deep returns breaking again at 15 to go up a double break at 4-1.

Anisimova, who had not lost a set in the tournament, slapped her Wilson Blade off the bottom of her shoe sole in frustration, but couldn’t slow the Pegula express.

On her second set point, Pegula slid her sixth ace down the T capping a near-flawless first set in 30 minutes. Pegula pumped 12 winners against six unforced errors. 

The 2024 US Open finalist set the tone with sharp serving: Pegula won 11 of 13 first-serve points. Though Anisimova served 70 percent, she won just seven of 16 first-serve points (44 percent) in a one-sided opening set.

Credit Anisimova for digging in and denying three break points in a hard-fought hold to start the second set. 

In the eighth game, Anisimova blasted a brilliant sharp-angled backhand return setting up a forehand winner for double break point. When Pegula netted a running forehand, Anisimova earned her first break for 5-3.

Undaunted, Pegula broke right back on an Anisimova double fault. The double fault disparity was a key today: Pegula pumped six aces against only two doubles, while Anisimova hit two aces and slapped all seven of her double faults in the second set.

The 24-year-old Anisimova shanked a wild double fault that missed so badly it would make most hackers cringe at the start of the 11th game. 

Shrugging it off, Anisimova was up 40-15 in that 11th game, but dumped her seventh double fault off the tape to face break point. Anisimova saved it, but didn’t go after her second serve and Pegula crushed a crosscourt forehand return winner for a second break point at the 85-minute mark.

When Anisimova netted a forehand, Pegula posted her fourth break of the match for a 6-5 lead.

Serving for the semifinal, Pegula played it safe—and paid the price. Anisimova blitzed an 84 mph backhand strike down the line that helped her break back and force the tiebreaker as she muttered “incredible” to herself.

The two Americans are two of the purest ball strikers on the WTA Tour, but have a disparate approach to point construction. Anisimova seeks to blow open points with that blazing backhand, while Pegula treats each point with the care of a woman clutching a diamond—she very rarely gives away a cheap point. On this day, Anisimova scattered far too many errors. Flirting with the lines and often finding the net, Anisimova spit up 44 unforced errors—23 more than Pegula, who did a fine job digging her running forehand out of the corners with pace and precision.

Consistency and clarity carried Pegula to a 5-1 lead in the breaker as Anisimova dumped three straight errors. Pegula pierced the center stripe with a serve for a fistful of match points at 6-1.

Anisimova netted her trademark backhand as Pegula closed in 95 minutes.