The highest seed remaining within the girls’s area, American Jessica Pegula, says she by no means been higher positioned to make her first grand slam semi-final.
The world No.3 has made the quarters at Melbourne Park three years straight whereas in 2022 she additionally made the ultimate eight at Roland Garros and the US Open.
The 28-year-old, who was eradicated final 12 months by world No. 1 and eventual champion Ash Barty, feels that is her time to shine.
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka is her subsequent hurdle, with the pair assembly on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday evening.
“I definitely want to reach a semi – it will be my first semi and I have a great shot here,” Pegula mentioned.
“I think I’m playing probably the best I have than in any of my other grand slam quarter-finals and that helps.
“I really feel extra expertise coming in right here … I positively really feel very assured going into this quarter-final, that I’m taking part in the perfect tennis and I’ve an excellent probability of creating a semi.”
Pegula described the honour of holding the highest ranking as a “cool stat” but said there were plenty of other threats still in the field despite the early exit of the top two seeds Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur.
“I nonetheless do not actually really feel like that – I imply I have a look at the draw and there is (Elena) Rybakina, who gained Wimbledon final 12 months, you’ve Vika (Azarenka) who does rather well right here.
(Jelena) Ostapenko is a slam champion as nicely so there’s so many individuals I feel which can be taking part in nicely and now have huge video games the place they’ll actually form of take you off the courtroom.”
Belarusian mum Azarenka won the Open in 2012 and 2013 and bowed out in the fourth round last year.
The 33-year-old has been playing well above her 24th seeding.
“Vika is only a tremendous aggressive baseliner and she or he likes to play right here,” Pegula mentioned.
“She’s only a nice competitor and when she’s on and she or he’s taking part in her sport, she will be able to simply be relentless along with her type.”
In other Tuesday quarter-final matches, Kazakh Rybakina, who eliminated Swiatek, takes on 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko in the day match on Rod Laver Arena.
Russian Karen Khachanov and American Sebastian Korda, whose father Petr is a former Open champion, meet in the men’s final eight in an afternoon affair.
Third-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and Czech shock packet Jiri Lehecka are the final match onto the principle area.
