Jessica Pegula simply can't avoid playing three-set matches as the American tennis star endured another battle that went into a decider before sealing a Wuhan semifinal spot.
Playing against world No. 62 Katerina Siniakova, the sixth-seeded American made a very slow start to the match, but recovered to win 2-6 6-0 6-3.
After losing her serve twice in the first set and not earning a single break point, Pegula impressively bounced back in the second set and bageled her rival. At the start of the third set, the American tennis star saved two consecutive break points before completing her comeback win with breaks in the fifth and ninth games.
In the Wuhan semifinal, Pegula will take on No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka – who has been one of the toughest matchups for her. The Belarusian leads their head-to-head 8-2 and has won their last four meetings.
Pegula's reaction to playing seven consecutive three-set matches
In Beijing, Pegula won three matches in three sets before falling short to Linda Noskova in a three-setter. In Wuhan, the American has had three-set wins so far. Asked about it following her win over Siniakova, the 2024 US Open finalist acknowledged playing long matches wasn't the best thing for her body, but noted she was happy with the fact that she was winning.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m in really good shape. I definitely don’t think I need to play anymore matches or work on any physical stuff because I’ve been able to battle through these matches and play really well. But yeah, I don’t know. I’m happy I’ve been able to figure things out. Obviously, I wish maybe it was more straightforward for my mental and physical sake, but if I win every match for the rest of my life in three sets, I think I’d be pretty happy," Pegula said.
