Jessica Pegula: American moves on to US Open quarterfinals with win over Diana Shnaider

CNN —

There will be more American representation in the women’s quarterfinals at the US Open as Jessica Pegula advanced to the last eight in New York for the second time in three years by defeating Diana Shnaider – 6-4, 6-2 – on Monday.

Pegula defeated her young Russian opponent in one hour and 27 minutes, joining compatriot Emma Navarro in the quarters after she upset reigning champion and world No. 3 Coco Gauff on Sunday.

After breaking twice in the first set to win three games on the spin and put her within a game of the opener, Pegula was forced to fend off a flurry from Shnaider. The 20-year-old Russian broke back to put the sixth seed under pressure, but Pegula held her nerve to serve out the set at the second time of asking.

With the partisan home crowd inside New York’s Arthur Ashe stadium cheering her on, the 30-year-old broke Shnaider’s serve in the third game of the second set, and then again in the seventh game to put her one game away from last eight.

There was no such rally from Shnaider this time as Pegula closed out the match with an ace to reach a seventh career grand slam quarterfinal.

Shnaider in action during the match. Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports

The Buffalo native has seen her best form of the season arrive recently in the North American hard court swing. She retained her title at the Canadian Open before reaching the final of the Cincinnati Open – her loss against world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in Ohio is her only defeat in her last 14 matches.

Her run to the quarters at Flushing Meadows is her best performance at a slam this year after exiting in the second round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and skipping the French Open due to injury.

“I feel like there’s been more pressure this year because I did so well coming into this tournament,” Pegula said on court after the match. “So to be able to still be here winning, I feel like today may be the best off the ground that I’ve felt, so I want to keep working my way and hopefully bring my best tennis for the later rounds.

“There’s always a lot of pressure here but it’s fun, it’s nice, I like it. It’s always nice being an American here and getting all the support.”

Pegula will be hoping to finally break her quarterfinal duck – she is 0-6 at this stage in grand slams.

She is set to take on either Liudmila Samsonova or world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the next round.

Karolína Muchová advances to quarterfinals with win over Jasmine Paolini

Karolína Muchová’s impressive US Open run continues.

The resurgent Czech defeated fifth seed Jasmine Paolini – 6-3, 6-3 – in just over an hour on Monday to reach the quarterfinals.

Seemingly finally free of injuries that have held her back throughout her career, the 28-year-old has pulled off huge wins on her way to the last eight, knocking out Naomi Osaka in round two and world No. 38 Anastasia Potapova in round three.

Muchová celebrates after defeating Paolini. Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Paolini entered the matchup with more wins at grand slams than anyone this year, having reached both the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon finals, but was no match for an inspired Muchová, who is playing some of the best tennis of her career and is still yet to drop a set in the tournament.

She reached the semifinals of the US Open last year and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 8, but was bitten by the injury bug and was forced to shut down her season shortly after to undergo wrist surgery. She’s also previously had back, abdominal and ankle injuries.

Muchová spent nine months out and only returned at Eastbourne in June this year. Now unseeded at Flushing Meadows, she has looked almost unplayable at times as she seeks to defend a heap of ranking points from 2023.

She has produced some highlight-reel tennis so far, including a stunning behind-the-back lob in her first round match. She has also made use of the ‘SABR’ – an abbreviation of “Sneak Attack by Roger” and popularized by the legendary Roger Federer. The SABR sees a player aggressively attack a second serve by stepping up the court on the return and moving to the net to finish off the point.

She will take on Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil in the quarterfinals. Haddad Maia held off Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Monday, making this her deepest US Open run. She’s the first Brazilian woman to reach the US Open quarterfinals since Maria Bueno did it in 1968.

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