Jessica Pegula Reaches First Grand Slam Semi-Final

Jessica Pegula achieved a major milestone by reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final after defeating world number one Iga Swiatek at the US Open. Pegula, who had previously lost her last six major quarter-finals dominated Swiatek with a score of 6-2, 6-4. She will now face Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals on Thursday, following Muchova’s straight-set victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia (6-1, 6-4).

Pegula, reflecting on her victory expressed her elation, stating, “I’ve been to the quarter-finals so many times but kept losing. Finally, I can say I’m a semi-finalist. Thank you to the crowd, you carried me through that last game.” Her performance was particularly notable as it came against the world’s top player and during prime time in New York.

In contrast, Swiatek struggled with her form, committing 41 unforced errors and failing to control her forehand. Pegula capitalized on this by breaking Swiatek’s serve early in the match and maintaining pressure throughout. Despite a brief resurgence from Swiatek in the second set, Pegula secured the decisive break at 3-3 and went on to win.

Muchova, who is making her second consecutive US Open semi-final appearance faced health issues during her match but managed to overcome them to defeat Haddad Maia. Muchova experienced significant discomfort and had to leave the court multiple times for medical reasons. Despite these challenges, she managed to close out the match and advance to the next round.

The US Open has seen strong performances from American players this year with Jessica Pegula’s success complementing fellow American Emma Navarro’s progress and guaranteeing at least one American male in the singles final with Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe set to face off in the semi-finals.