Pegula Saves MPs In Win Over Potapova At Miami Masters, Will Meet Rybakina;
The first semifinal is set at the Miami Masters and it will pit American No. 1 Jessica Pegula against the red-hot Indian Wells champion Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina won her 12th straight match rolling past the 25th-seeded Italian Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-0.
The 23-year-old Rybakina hit 10 aces, was 5 of 9 on break chance as she cruised taking the last eight games of the match. The Kazakh stays on course for a “Sunshine Double”.
“For sure I don’t have any pressure,” Rybakina said. “I know that it’s very difficult and not many players did it. Plus I was match point down the other match, so I really don’t think so far in the draw.
“I just need to focus match by match, and I have a tough opponent. Of course it would be amazing to achieve something like that, but it’s still far away.”
Rybakina advances her 19th career semifinal. Trevisan was bidding her 3rd career WTA semifinal.
In a thrilling late-night affair, Pegula edged Anastasia Potapova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(7-2). The two played a tight one at Indian Wells with Pegula making a comeback late, and this went to script.
With the match delayed due to a number of rain delays, Potapova led once again in the third up 4-2 and then served for the match at 5-4, 40-15. But those two match points came and went and Pegula struck a big forehand on the first one and the Russian missing long on a backhand down-the-line winner bid on the second.
At 5-all, Potapova would manage to get the break again and have another shot to serve it out. But Pegula was too solid. And then she took early control of the breaker to return to the Miami semifinals.
Pegula leads Rybakina 2-0.
On tap on Wednesday, the last of the quarters take place with No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka squaring off against the soaring Sorana Cirstea in a first-time tour-level clash.
“I got the chance to practice with her preseason in Dubai,” Sabalenka said. “She’s playing really great tennis, serving well. Playing great against top players. Yeah, really looking forward to this match.”
Also, No. 15 Petra Kvitova will battle No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova. Kvitova won their only meeting at the 2020 Australian Open.
All four are seeking a first Miami Masters semifinal.
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