By Richard Pagliaro | Tennis Now | Wednesday March 30, 2022
Jessica Pegula has permitted just 13 games powering into her second WTA 1000 semifinal at the Miami Open.
Photo Source: Michael Reaves/Getty
Jessica Pegula continues tearing through enemy territory.
Pegula led 4-1 when Paula Badosa retired from today’s Miami Open quarterfinals sending the 16th-seeded American into her second WTA 1000 semifinal.
The fifth-seeded Spaniard, who complained illness after her 6-2, 6-3 triumph over teenage phenom Linda Fruhvirtova, was coming off her second straight Indian Wells semifinal. Despite today’s retirement, Badosa rises to a career-high rank of No. 3 in the live rankings.
Meanwhile Pegula moves onward and upward—she rises to a new career-high rank of No. 13 in the live rankings (https://live-tennis.eu/en/wta-live-ranking). Pegula will play either second-seeded Iga Swiatek, who officially takes over as new world No. 1 on Monday, or two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova for a spot in the final.
In her first appearance on stadium court and her maiden meeting with Badosa, Pegula hit cleanly and played with clarity seizing four games in a row before Badosa pulled the plug after a half hour.
The 28-year-old Pegula booked her trip to Miami the final four seven months after she made her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal in Montreal. Pegula was a marathon woman in Montreal going the distance to beat four straight Top 30 opponents—Anett Kontaveit, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Danielle Collins and Ons Jabeur—before bowing to eventual-champion Camila Giorgi in a three-set semifinal.
While Pegula unleashed the warrior within in her Montreal surge, she’s been extremely efficient spending just three hours, 33 minutes on court at the Hard Rock Stadium home of a family nemesis. Pegula’s parents are principal owners of the Buffalo Bills who face off against the Miami Dolphins twice a season in the NFL. For the second straight year, Pegula is the last American woman still standing in Miami.
Referencing her NFL pedigree, Pegula said she’s aiming to keep the chains moving.
“As you guys know, I’ve been here before on this field in a different scenario,” Pegula told Andrew Krasny afterward. “I’m sure we have some Bills fans so it’s good to get another win in this stadium, I guess.”
An offensive Pegula has delivered a superior ground game in Miami dropping just 13 games thanks to a couple of retirements—her fourth-round opponent, Anhelina Kalinina, retired after a shutout opening set—which means the American should be fresh for a tough semifinal tomorrow.
Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, whom Pegula defeated 6-1, 6-4 in her opener, is the last American woman to raise the Miami Open title trophy.
Is Pegula’s current level high enough to take the title?
“Yeah, I hope so,” Pegula replied.
“There’s still gonna be a couple matches to go and probably the toughest match of the tournament,” Pegula told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. “I’m just focusing on the next match. I think I’ve proven I can play at these later stages.
“I think it’s probably the best I’ve played all year, to be honest. Even though I’ve got a couple of retirements, I feel I’m striking the ball well.
“Of course I’m ready I always want to be ready.”
In their lone prior meeting, Pegula defeated Swiatek 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 at the 2019 Citi Open in Washington, DC. The Buffalo native has not taken a set from Kvitova in two prior matches.