World No.3 Jessica Pegula will face countrywoman Madison Keys within the US Open fourth spherical because the American buzz continues to construct on the 12 months’s ultimate grand slam.
Pegula fought previous Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-4 4-6 6-2 on Saturday whereas Keys rallied to upset 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 6-2 6-2.
With 4 American ladies reaching the final 16 and the identical variety of US males progressing to the second week, residence followers can dream of a Flushing Meadows trophy sweep regardless of how far fetched that concept may appear.
Not since 2002 when Pete Sampras and Serena Williams have been topped US Open champions have Americans hoisted each trophies however, with Pegula, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe all high 10 seeds and within the final 16, the possibility will probably be there.
The final time Flushing Meadows had an opportunity to have fun a homegrown ladies’s champion was in 2017 when Sloane Stephens beat Keys in an all-American ultimate.
Seeded third and carrying momentum from a stable run in to Flushing Meadows that included a win on the Canadian Open, Pegula is rated the highest US hope and has carried out as anticipated, solely dropping one set within the first week.
She acquired her first actual check within the type of gritty veteran Svitolina, a US Open semi-finalist in 2019, and was cautious of the match up with Seventeenth-seeded Keys.
“Every time I practice with (Keys), she just has the ability to just hit aces and rip forehands and backhands, play a really big power game,” Pegula stated.
“It will be interesting to see how smart I can play and what I can do to combat that.”
If she win’s Monday’s conflict, Pegula could have reached the quarter-finals of three of the 4 majors for the second consecutive 12 months.
Sixth seed Gauff was the primary to e-book her spot with a win over Belgian Elise Mertens on Friday, whereas Peyton Stearns joined the trio when she brushed apart Britain’s Katie Boulter 6-4 6-3 on Saturday evening.
Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka pummelled France’s Clara Burel 6-1 6-1 of their third-round match.
Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, will subsequent play thirteenth seed Daria Kasatkina, who beat Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen 6-3 6-4.
An ailing Ons Jabeur scraped by Czech Marie Bouzkova 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to maintain her marketing campaign on trackdespite an error-riddled efficiency.
The Tunisian fifth seed stated this week she was feeling like a “zombie” as a result of sickness however got here again from the lifeless to beat a cool-headed Bouzkova, firing off 56 winners underneath the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
She now faces China’s Zheng Qinwen, who beat Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 4-6 6-4.
with The AP
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
