Jessica Pegula Cruises Into Adelaide Quarters

Jessica Pegula made a strong return from injury by defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in the Adelaide International. The American, who is the top seed, secured the victory in just 73 minutes, earning her spot in the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event. This marked Pegula’s first match since she withdrew from the WTA Finals in November due to a knee injury.

Pegula, who reached her first major singles final at the US Open in September where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka will compete in the Australian Open, beginning Sunday as the seventh seed. Despite the quick win, Jessica Pegula acknowledged the challenge of starting the year with a victory, saying, “It’s always tough getting the first win of the year, you don’t know what to expect.”

She is focused on performing well in Adelaide before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open. In the quarter-finals, Pegula will face American Ashlyn Krueger, who triumphed over Spain’s Paula Badosa. In other news from the Adelaide International, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova’s Australian Open participation is uncertain after she retired from her match against Diana Shnaider due to injury.

Vondrousova was leading 6-4, 1-1 before withdrawing in just her second match since undergoing shoulder surgery in August. Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur a two-time Wimbledon finalist, lost to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, who won 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals. In the men’s draw, Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime came from behind to beat France’s Arthur Cazaux 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 while top seed Tommy Paul defeated French lucky loser Manuel Guinard 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.