By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, September 2, 2024
Jessica Pegula stopped Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-2 to return to join Emma Navarro as the second American woman into the US Open elite eight.
Photo credit: Darren Carroll/US Open/USTA
NEW YORK—Squealing sneakers amplified Jessica Pegula’s deep desire on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
On a sweaty Labor Day, Pegula was all business dashing into her seventh career major quarterfinal with her most dynamic match of this US Open.
Pegula pumped an ace out wide wrapping an emphatic 6-4, 6-2 win over Diana Shnaider to return to the Flushing Meadows quarterfinals.
“I feel like this is the first time I played during the day [in] hot conditions so I feel we were both serving well,” Pegula told Rennae Stubbs afterward. “I was able to stay aggressive on her returns.”
The streaking Pegula posted her 13th win in her last 14 matches—her lone loss in that span coming to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in last month’s Cincinnati final—and now aims to break through to her maiden Slam semifinal.
Pegula joins Emma Navarro, who dethroned defending champion Coco Gauff in three sets yesterday as the second American woman into the elite eight at this US Open.
Sustaining balance is a requirement for Grand Slam success.
Managing the crammed crowds, constant noise, persistent pressure massive scale of the season’s Slam finale has been a challenge for Pegula in past years.
The Buffalo-born Pegula admits her home Slam has sometimes frayed focus and torn nerve—and said she’s felt mounting pressure posting straight-sets wins over compatriots Shelby Rogers and Sofia Kenin before dismissing Spainiard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and now the dangerous Shnaider.
Pegula is right where she wants to be—playing for her first major final four spot—and aims to channel momentum into breakthrough moment.
“I think it always I feel there’s been more pressure this year because I did so well coming into this tournament,” Pegula said, “I feel today may be the best I felt off the ground. I want to bring my best tennis into the later rounds here. There’s always pressure here, but I like it. It’s fun being an American here and getting great support.”
Canadian Open queen Pegula is making her mark in Flushing Meadows again. Pegula returns to the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three years.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek stopped Pegula in the 2022 US Open quarterfinals, 6-3, 7-6(4). The pair will square off again in Wednesday’s quarterfinals after the top-seeded Pole beat 16th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova in their clash on Ashe Stadium tonight, 6-4, 6-1.
The 2022 US Open champion Swiatek has won six of nine meetings with Pegula, whose lone mis-step so far has been riling up some Louis Armstrong Stadium when she jokingly (we think) claimed there were more Buffalo Bills fans than New York Jets fans on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Earlier, Karolina Muchova continued her declarative run through the draw.
The 2023 semifinalist Muchova won 23 of 28 first-serve points stopping fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3.
Muchova improved to 6-1 in Grand Slam fourth-round matches advancing to her sixth career Grand Slam quarterfinal.
World No. 52 Muchova has not dropped a set in wins over American Katie Volynets, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, Anastasia Potapova and Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist Paolini.
The stylish Muchova has done it, imposing a heavy first serve and all-court creativity.
Muchova will face either former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki or Brazilian left-hander Beatriz Haddad Maia for a semifinal return.
Though she’s had success on every surface—Muchova has reached quarterfinals or better at all four Grand Slams—the Czech has won just one title in her career. Can Muchova break through in New York the year after she nearly shocked Swiatek in the Roland Garros final?
Exhibiting early grit, Pegula fended off four break points in her opening service game to level.
Lingering frustration over opportunity lost cost Shnaider, who slapped a low forehand into net then swiped her racquet at the hard court gifting the break and 2-1 lead to the American.
A 10-year age gap exists between the 30-year-old Pegula and 20-year-old Shnaider, but the veteran was reading the direction of the left-hander’s drives and covering the court a bit more quickly. Shnaider made some defensive digs to flip the point, transitioning to net where she broke back.
Closing quickly on the ball, Pegula flicked a forehand winner scoring her second straight break for 3-2.
Pegula stamped her strongest hold of the set to confirm the break. Shnaider was losing ground in side-to-side rallies and struggled shortening points. Hitting a double fault and a forehand error, Shnaider surrendered serve for the third time in a row in the seventh game.
Wearing heavy white strapping surrounding her left knee and tan kinesiology tape crisscrossing her right shoulder, Shnaider showed little wear-and-tear reaching the fourth round. She dropped just 13 games in three tournament wins.
Shnaider broke back then held, narrowing the gap to 4-5.
Serving for the set for the second time, Pegula saved a set point sliding a slice down the middle, setting up the winner. Pegula saved a second break point then coaxed successive forehand errors, locking down a one-set lead after 47 minutes of play.
Tightening the screws on the left-hander in a 12-minute game, an unrelenting Pegula was standing on top of the baseline when she drew a double fault breaking for a 6-4, 2-1 lead.
Slicing her fifth ace out wide, Pegula stretched her lead to 6-4, 4-2.
On serve, Shnaider was trying to push Pegula wide of the doubles alley to open the court. Pegula’s precise ball strike and brief backswings empowered her to slash back returns that danced at the Russians’ feet. Pegula banged a backhand return to draw the netted error breaking for 5-2.
Pegula hit the slice serve down the T sharply when she needed it. Pegula won 28 of 35 first-serve points (80 percent) and saved seven of nine break points.
The Canadian Open champion closed an 87-minute win slashing an ace wide.