Melbourne, Jan 28 (.) Jessica Pegula booked her maiden Australian Open semifinal berth after defeating fellow American and fourth seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6(1) in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The sixth seed produced a composed display in the all-American clash, closing out the match in one hour and 35 minutes to set up a semifinal showdown with fifth seed Elena Rybakina, as per the WTA Tour website.
Pegula dominated the opening set with her consistency and court coverage before holding her nerve in a one-sided tie-break in the second to seal victory. The win marked a reversal of fortune for Pegula, who had lost her previous Australian Open quarterfinal against a compatriot in 2021, when she went down in three sets to Jennifer Brady.
“It’s awesome,” Pegula said in her on-court interview. “This was the first Slam where I really broke through, and I’ve always felt like I’ve played good tennis here. I’ve been waiting for the moment to finally get to the semifinals.”
The 30-year-old reached her third career Grand Slam semifinal and her first at a major other than the US Open, where she has made the last four twice.
Pegula also extended her dominance against American opponents at the Grand Slam level. The victory was her eighth straight win over a compatriot at a major, and she became the first American woman since Gigi Fernandez in 1993 to defeat three fellow Americans at a single Australian Open.
During her run in Melbourne, Pegula has overcome McCartney Kessler in the second round, defending champion Madison Keys in the fourth round, and Anisimova in the quarterfinals.
She will next face Rybakina as she bids for a place in her first Australian Open final.
. VAN .