By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, August 29, 2024
Jessica Pegula powered through six of the last seven games conquering Sofia Kenin 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach the US Open third round for the fifth time.
Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood/US Open/USTA
NEW YORK—Major misfires preyed on Jessica Pegula this season.
Down a break in both sets today, Pegula played with precision to tame the threat from Sofia Kenin.
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Toronto champion Pegula powered through six of the last seven games conquering Kenin 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach the US Open third round.
The sixth-seeded Pegula, who beat compatriot Shelby Rogers in her opener, has won 11 of her last 12 matches after contesting back-to-back finals in Toronto and Cincinnati.
It is Pegula’s first Grand Slam third round of the season and sends her into a showdown vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a spot in the round of 16.
The 74th-ranked Bouzas Maneiro beat 31st-ranked Briton Katie Boulter 7-5, 7-5 on Court 5 today. Bouzas Maneiro, who made a major name for herself at Wimbledon last month when she shocked reigning champion and world No. 6 Marketa Vondrousova, converted five of eight break points today.
In a highly-anticipated all-American clash on Louis Armstrong Court, the 54th-ranked Kenin came out firing breaking Pegula’s opening service game in both the first and second sets.
The 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin, used the drop shot and backhand down the line shrewdly stopping 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in round one on Grandstand Court.
Today, Kenin changed direction sharply on that backhand down the line at the outset.
As the match progressed, Pegula served sharper and struck her running forehand crosscourt with more control.
Pegula pumped six aces against two double faults—including ending three games with aces down the T. Pegula sealed an 87-minute win with an ace down the T. Kenin hit two aces against six double faults and twice ended games with doubles.
The pair play a similar baseline style—both are skilled straddling the baseline, taking the ball on the rise and both can belt flat drives down the line. Pegula was more exact with her footwork and shotmaking at crunch time today.
"I think I maybe started serving a little bit better," Pegula told Blair Henley afterward. "I served pretty well in the moments I had to. I knew I was right there, I knew I had chances to break.
"But she's really tough. She's a good returner and when she's hitting her shots and getting good depth that makes it really hard."
They exchanged breaks in the sixth and seventh games.
Trailing 3-4, Pegula bounced her Yonex racquet after falling into a double break point hole.
Taking out her frustration on her stick seemed to pump Pegula up.
Decisive serving helped her dig out of troubles as Pegula denied both break points then popped an ace holding to level at 4-all.
"I was very pissed off at the time, not happy," Pegula said. "I have tried to do better at just -- I know I don't show a lot of emotion, but I still get upset. I think what I try to think of is, okay, I'm really mad, I'm upset, I'm annoyed, and just get it out, but then just try to reset really quickly.
"I think sometimes when you try to hold it together, you can kind of have a lot of built-up tension. Even though maybe my outbursts aren't as extreme, at least for me they feel more extreme. I like to just kind of get it out of my system and then it's like, okay, right back. It's on to the next point. I think as long as I can do that, sometimes it's good to show a little bit of emotion, and I knew that was a big moment. I knew that if I could get out of that game, obviously it shifted the entire first set."
Pegula slid an ace wide to force the tiebreaker.
Though Kenin drew first mini-break blood to go up 2-0, a patient Pegula was driving deep crosscourt shots provoking three errors from the rock-solid Kenin backhand to go up 5-2.
On her second set point, Pegula drew an errant forehand return to take the 51-minute opener.
Seizing a 2-0 lead for the second straight set, Kenin couldn’t sustain her level in longer rallies. Pegula broke back for 2-all and accelerated through the finish.
"I had to kind of defend when I could and move in when I got the chance," Pegula said. "The conditions are a little slower. I think you just have to be smart on your serve and keep trying to move forward."
The 30-year-old Buffalo native won 12 of her last 15 service points drilling that ace to seal an 87-minute win for her fifth straight trip to the US Open third round.
The 2022 quarterfinalist Pegula has reached six Grand Slam quarterfinals in 23 major appearances and continues her quest for a maiden major semifinal in New York.