In her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal victory, No. 6-seed Jessica Pegula defeated No. 1 Iga Świątek at the 2024 US Open in straight sets on Wednesday night.
Now reaching new heights, the US tennis star will look to continue her historic run in tonight’s semifinal against unseeded Czech opponent, Karolina Muchová.
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Pegula Shows Dominance in Quarterfinal Victory
The 30-year-old Pegula, undefeated in sets throughout the tournament, seized control of yesterday’s match from the start, breaking Świątek’s serve in the first game — marking the first time the five-time Grand Slam winner’s serve was broken in 26 games.
Świątek, the 2022 US Open champion, struggled in the first set with 18 unforced errors. Frustrated with her performance, the Polish player went back to the locker room to regroup, but it was not enough to stop Pegula’s relentless 6-2, 6-4 triumph.
Following six previous attempts in Grand Slam quarterfinals, Pegula expressed joy to the crowd post-match, saying, “there have been so many freaking times, and I just kept losing… So thank God I was able to do it. And finally — finally! — I can say, ‘Semifinalist.’
Two US Players in the Semifinals
Pegula is not the only player making her Grand Slam semifinal debut tonight. Before Pegula’s match, fellow US player No. 13 Emma Navarro will compete against reigning Australian Open champion No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka, who was defeated by Coco Gauff in last year’s US Open, looks for better luck against Navarro, the player who eliminated the defending champ in the previous round.
If both Pegula and Navarro win, the US Open final on Saturday would feature two US athletes for the first time since 2017 when Sloane Stephens triumphed over Madison Keys. It would also bring together two New York natives on their home Grand Slam court: Pegula from Buffalo, NY, and Navarro born in NYC.
Where to Watch the 2024 US Open Semifinals
Navarro and Sabalenka will begin the Grand Slam action tonight at 7 PM ET, followed by Pegula’s match against Muchová. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN.
The post Jessica Pegula Upsets No. 1 Iga Świątek at US Open appeared first on Just Women’s Sports.
