"It was a performance of cool authority, built less on fireworks than on persistence and precision. She needed only 86 minutes to subdue her opponent, whose serve collapsed under pressure with seven double faults and a first-serve percentage barely above 40%. Where Krejcikova unravelled, Pegula stayed the course, drawing energy from a nearly full Arthur Ashe Stadium that sensed they were watching a home contender gather momentum."
"The match began with Krejcikova missing an overhead and donating her first double fault to drop serve at love. Pegula extended her lead to 4-2 but stumbled when she missed too many first serves, allowing Krejcikova to break back. The reprieve was fleeting. Another double fault from the Czech in the following game opened the door and Pegula kicked it down, breaking immediately and consolidating to pocket the opening set in 38 minutes."
Jessica Pegula, 31, advanced to the US Open semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Barbora Krejcikova. Pegula became the first woman to reach back-to-back US Open semi-finals without losing a set since Serena Williams achieved four straight from 2011 to 2014. The match lasted 86 minutes and featured Krejcikova's serve collapsing under pressure, with seven double faults and a first-serve percentage barely above 40%. Pegula applied steady pressure, punished second serves with flat returns, and capitalized on momentum shifts. Krejcikova briefly broke back but could not sustain consistency, and Pegula closed out the match efficiently.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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