Jessica Pegula matches Serena Williams feat and earns rankings jump with stunning win over Iga Swiatek
The world No 5 claimed an incredible win over Iga Swiatek at the US Open to become only the fourth American woman to achieve a rare North American feat.
After falling at the quarter-final stage of majors on six occasions, it was a case of seventh time is a charm for Pegula as she “played a really clean match” to stun the Pole and reach her maiden Slam semi-final.
A 6-2, 6-4 win in under 90 minutes over top seed Swiatek is as clean as it comes as she raced into a 4-0 lead in the opening set with two breaks of serve. She also broke twice in the second set, but the world No 1 did manage to get a break back before the American served out the match.
“I thought I played a really clean match, served pretty well, returned well,” Pegula said.
“I feel like I didn’t really do anything that bad, and was able to kind of jump on her really early and I think frustrate her, and was able to keep my level even when she picked it up in the second set.”
She added: “I think today I wanted to come out playing the way I wanted to play. I had an idea in my mind of what I learned from the last time I played her at Finals and play kind of within myself and then just see where she was at.
“I could tell right away she was frustrated on the serve.”
With the win Pegula – who won the Canadian Open and finished runner-up at the Cincinnati Open – became only the fourth American in the Open Era to reach the semi-final of the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open and US Open in the same year.
Serena Williams achieved it in 2013, 2014 and 2015 while Rosie Casals (1970), and Sloane Stephens are the other two Americans on the list.
With the win Pegula is also assured of climbing to at least No 4 in the WTA Rankings as she moved ahead of Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff in the Live Rankings and she could equal her career-best of three if she reaches the final.
The American will face Karolina Muchova for a place in the US Open women’s final after the Czech beat Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-4.
With Pegula’s win there are four Americans in the semi-final of their home Grand Slam with Emma Navarro set to face Aryna Sabalenka in the last four. There will be an American in the final of the men’s event as Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will meet in the semi-final.
