American Jessica Pegula defeated Barbora Krejčíková 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the U.S. Open semifinals.
Pegula, 31, is the oldest woman left in the singles draw and is seeking her first Grand Slam title.
She is the first woman to reach consecutive U.S. Open semifinals without losing a set since Serena Williams.
NEW YORK — American Jessica Pegula had little trouble against Barbora Krejčíková, overwhelming the two-time Grand Slam champion 6-3, 6-3, and setting up a potential rematch in the U.S. Open semifinals with top-ranked and No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka plays Markéta Vondroušová, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, in the first night session on Tuesday, and beat Pegula in the U.S. Open finals last year.
The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium barely had time to get settled into their seats for the 11:30 a.m. ET start time, when Pegula took control early with her forehand, and Krejčíková’s inability to sustain any offensive rhythm, even completely whiffing on an attempted forehand chance in the second game.
“I think I’ve been playing some really good tennis,” Pegula said after the match. “I’ve just been playing very solid. I’ve been having very good quick starts, so I really wanted to do that today, especially against someone like (Krejcikova) who’s very dangerous.”
‘I feel really comfortable. It’s crazy to feel this comfortable on the biggest court in the world with the craziest crowd and the best players. Ten years ago, I never thought I’d be good at this, but I guess I am.’
Pegula, the No. 4 seed and a 2024 U.S. Open finalist, didn’t break much of a sweat at the start, racing out to 3-0 and 4-1 leads within the first 20 minutes, looking like the player who had only spent four hours on the court in her first four matches of the tournament, while not losing a set.
But Krejčíková fought back, winning two straight games before letting it slip away when serving for the equalizer, and was broken for the third time in the first set.
Krejčíková is known more for her outstanding career in doubles, having already secured the career Grand Slam in women’s doubles and won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. She was undone against Pegula by untimely errors with her backhand and an unreliable second serve.
Krejčíková had shown the ability to battle adversity during the tournament, even saving eight match points during the round of 16 win over Taylor Townsend, while spending more than double the time that Pegula had on the court, including her previous two matches, which both went three sets.
Pegula, at 31, is the oldest woman remaining in the singles tournament, and she is seeking her first Grand Slam championship. Pegula is the first woman to reach back-to-back U.S. Open semifinals without dropping a set since Serena Williams (2011-14).