In a turn of events that leaves almost every observer gasping in disbelief, Jessica Pegula has progressed to the Grand Slam semifinal after shocking World No. 1 Iga Swiatek out of the tournament. Fourth-seeded Pegula, her back against the wall, beat back everything Swiatek threw at her to win 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in a nail-biting contest which lasted over 2 hours.
Competing at the [name of the tournament] and aiming to capture the trophy, Świątek clearly was the overwhelming favorite, considering she was the best female player throughout the year. Nonetheless, Pegula did not let the pressure dictate her response to the challenge, taking advantage of the opportunities and putting on a show that stood out as one of the greatest wins in her career.
At the beginning of the match, both women took turns hitting their opponent’s groundstrokes. Although Świątek’s serve was broken relatively quickly in the first set, it was Pegula who was the instigator of the break. Even when Swiatek got back on track in the second set and started to make Pegula commit errors, the American fought back in the last stage of the match. What proved to be key was Pegula’s ability to keep her calm under all sorts of aggressive onslaughts, Graham shoved up a wall for one final game of nerves and walked away from the final game without dropping a single point.
This win marks a groundbreaking achievement for Pegula, who has been so close yet so far from making it to a Grand Slam semifinal after winning the U.S. open. The fact that she has overcome the reigning World No. 1 all but confirmed her as one of the leading ladies on the tour and makes her career even more interesting.
“I was aware it was the final part of the tournament and I needed to deliver my best tennis today. I’m just super happy that I managed to do it,” Pegula said and summarized her win for the audience. “This victory is everything for me.”
Pegula will now go on to meet [next opponent] for a semis spot, one that fans shall hope the momentum in her the form continues.
