Pegula Outlasts Svitolina, Gauff Blows Out Bencic In Washington

Top seed Jessica Pegula toppled comeback queen Elina Svitolina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Washington semifinals.

The American No. 1 rallied from a set down and used her steady game to deny the more aggressive Svitolina. Pegula managed to break Svitolina to start the third then saved five break points at 3-2 in the third and another when asked to serve out the match.

“I think we play very similar,” Pegula told the WTA after. “Very solid from both sides, so I knew it was going to be a tough match.

“Tons of respect for her. She just had a baby, and everything she’s going through with her country. I told her it was like she came back a new person. You can see the competitiveness in her and I’ve always really respected that.”

Pegula moves on to face No. 4 Maria Sakkari.

The Greek star upended Leylah Fernandez and then eliminated Madison Keys 6-3, 6-3.

Sakkari is up on is ahead of Pegula 4-3 in their tour-level clashes. Pegula was the victor in their most recent clash in Doha earlier in the year.

It’s been a good start for Coco Gauff under new coach Brad Gilbert. The American teen blew past Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-2 to make the semifinals.

The 19-year-old tallied five aces and broke serve six times in the match. Gauff and Bencic have now split two tour-level collisions.

“I’m really happy with how I played today,” Gauff said the WTA. “Belinda is not an easy player to play. I played all types of tennis. I was the aggressor in some moments. Some moments I was the defender.

“This definitely is probably one of the top matches that I have played,” she added. “I think with the caliber of player and the way I played, this is definitely one of the top ones.

“This is the tennis that I have been trying to play. I don’t know if I’m a hard critic on myself, but I feel like I could do better in a lot of moments today even though the scoreline seemed easier, but I don’t think the scoreline reflected the level of the match today.”

Gauff advances her 12th career semifinal where she will meet defending champion Liudmila Samsonova who moved past (the Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in straights 6-4, 6-2.

Gauff defeated the Russian in their only prior meeting at 2021 Charleston.

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