By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday May 3, 2022
Jessica Pegula has been a pillar of consistency since 2021, and that has not changed this week in Madrid. The 28-year-old American has reached ten quarterfinals since the start of last season, including two at the Australian Open and another seven at the 1000 level.
She doesn't get tons of mainstream attention. She may be the best kept secret in women's tennis at the moment.
All those hard-won victories have Pegula on the cusp of cracking the Top-10, pending results this week in Madrid (she's currently 14), but for now she’ll focus on the task at hand: a winnable matchup with Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain on Wednesday evening.
Sorribes Tormo, the lone Spanish woman left in the draw, eliminated Daria Kasatkina, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. If Tuesday is any indication, Pegula will be up for the task. Pegula raced past Bianca Andreescu, winning 10 of the final 11 games to win 7-5, 6-1, and improve to 16-9 on the season.
Pegula still only has one career title to her name, but as the only seeded player left in her top half of the draw, and one of just two seeded players among the eight quarterfinalists, she certainly has her chance at a biggest career title this week in Madrid.
Kalinina Flies the Ukrainian Flag
Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine knocked off ninth-seeded Emma Raducanu in a tight tussle on Tuesday night, edging the 2021 US Open champion, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to set a quarterfinal with Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann.
The victory was Kalinina’s biggest career win by ranking. She has defeated three Grand Slam champions – Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza and Raducanu – in her first three matches at Madrid.
Teichmann defeated 16th-seeded Elena Rybakina, 6-3, 6-1.
The women’s quarterfinals shape up as follows in Madrid: