Jessica Pegula’s wild ride to the China Open semifinals — and what’s next
When pressure hit hardest, Jessica Pegula delivered. In a blistering quarterfinal in Beijing, she erased a shaky start to climb back into the match—and by the end, carved her name in history as the third American ever to reach the China Open semifinals.
📌 From dark to dominant
The match began in rough fashion. Pegula dropped the first set in a tense tiebreak (6-7 (2)), after wasting six set points. But that’s when she dug deep. Channeling resolve and composure, she stormed through the next two sets 6-2, 6-1, leaving fellow American Emma Navarro stunned in her wake. (Yes — she turned it around in just over two hours.)
“I told myself not to get too frustrated,” she reflected. “Stay calm, try to relax, and trust my game.”
That mental pivot paid off. In the second and third sets, Pegula faced zero break points. She flipped the script, dominating from start to finish.
A milestone moment
Her success in Beijing is more than just another win. She joins an exclusive American club—only two others before her have ever reached the semis of the China Open. This achievement amplifies her legacy on the hard-court stage and injects fresh momentum into her season.
Next up: a showdown with Linda Noskova, the 20-year-old Czech rising star. Noskova herself is riding high—her quarterfinal win was emphatic, and she’s now the lone non-American left in the draw.
Clash of styles, youth vs. experience
On one side: Pegula, battle-tested and relentless, with grit and consistency as her weapons. On the other: Noskova, fiery and fearless, with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Their head-to-head matchups have already drawn interest this year — this one will carry extra weight.
If Pegula falters, the title could slip from reach. But if she brings the same steel she showed in the quarters, she might just medal in Beijing.
