Jessica Pegula avanzó a la cuarta ronda del US Open con una reñida victoria por 6-4, 4-6 y 6-2 sobre la ucraniana Elina Svitolina, continuando las impresionantes actuaciones de las jugadoras estadounidenses en su torneo local.
La cabeza de serie número 3 ahora se enfrentará a su compatriota Madison Keys por un lugar en los cuartos de final después de que Keys completara una victoria por 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 sobre la rusa Liudmila Samsonova en su propio partido de tercera ronda.
Desde que Svitolina regresó al tenis después de tener un bebé el año pasado, ha logrado una serie de resultados impresionantes, alcanzando los cuartos de final del Abierto de Francia y las semifinales de Wimbledon, y el sábado supuso una difícil prueba para Pegula.
Pegula didn’t concede a break point in the first set, but Svitolina converted her first – and only – opportunity to break the American in the second set and level the match.
Pegula’s serve de ella remained virtually impregnable during the third set, she served nine aces throughout the match and granted just one break point, and once she had broken Svitolina again ella simply held out for the win.
“I knew no matter what, she wasn’t going to go away,” Pegula said afterwards, according to the WTA. “She’s been playing amazing. She really picked up her level from her and forced me to go after that third set.”
Remarkably, Pegula has also reached the fourth round in both the doubles and mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows.
Meanwhile, Keys rallied after losing the first set to wrap up her own victory and told reporters that that her match against Pegula will “be a really difficult match no matter who wins,” according to the WTA.
Peyton Stearns will also join her compatriots in the fourth round after she defeated Britain’s Katie Boulter to reach this stage of a grand slam for the first time in her career.
The 21-year-old, who was crowned NCAA singles champion last year, will now face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.
It was in 2002 that the USA last took victory in both the men’s and the women’s singles at this tournament when Pete Sampras and Serena Williams won their respective draws.
But with Pegula, Keys, Stearns and Coco Gauff all reaching the fourth round and with Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton all still in contention in the men’s draw, American tennis seems to be flourishing again.
Elsewhere, Tunisia’s Ons Jabuer overcame a set deficit to defeat Czech player Marie Bouzkova 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, while defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz also dropped a set but defeated Britain’s Dan Evans 6-2 6- 3 4-6 6-3.
