By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Thursday, August 3, 2023
High seed Jessica Pegula is trying to win yet one more title in Washington, DC.
But she should subsequent overcome the red-hot Elina Svitolina to attain that aim.
Pegula took the following step in her quest as she superior in straight units to succeed in the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, DC.
The 2019 champion in D.C., the present World No. 4 Pegula beat impending rain and her opponent and fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to succeed in the final eight within the WTA 500 occasion.
tenth foremost draw win in DC 👏@JPegula sees off Stearns 6-3, 6-4 and can meet red-hot Svitolina within the quarters!#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/D6JWyRYYcZ
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) August 3, 2023
Subsequent up for Pegula is former World No. 3 Svitolina who has change into one of many greatest tales within the sport over the previous few months.
Since coming again to the tour, Svitolina has loved stellar success on the majors together with reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and the Wimbledon semifinals.
“It is gonna be a unique match most likely than the earlier instances I’ve performed her. I can simply inform from watching her matches, yeah, I really feel like she has a brand new perspective. So many issues happening in her life,” Pegula mentioned concerning the matchup.”
Pegula has a 2-1 face to face benefit over Svitolina, however all of these matches had been performed again in 2021. The highest American realizes that Svitolina is actually a model new participant than earlier than.
“She’s form of come again and reset actually properly. She’s been competing actually, very well and taking part in, like, very fearless. It is positively going to be, I believe, totally different. It may be a tricky match. She’s been taking part in at a excessive stage, and I really feel like she hasn’t actually missed a beat a lot coming again.”
In D.C. Svitolina has continued her profitable methods as she has defeated Victoria Azarenka after which Daria Kasatkina on her approach to the quarterfinals.
No.1 seed out right here taking part in squash ♨️@JPegula | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/QQHL1zKkxY
— wta (@WTA) August 3, 2023
“She’s a tremendous competitor, clearly a tremendous participant. What’s she accomplished after giving start and every little thing that nation goes by way of, it’s been actually wonderful,” Pegula mentioned in her post-match interview earlier within the day.
“I really feel like she’s coming again with a brand new perspective, a brand new outlook, and that’s displaying on court docket. She’s competing actually, actually arduous and hasn’t actually appeared to skip a beat. It’s going to be actually powerful.”
Photograph Credit score: Matthew Calvis