WTA roundup: Jessica Pegula cruises into Austin semifinals

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

Top-seeded Jessica Pegula needed just 58 minutes on Friday to post a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Russia’s Anna Blinkova to reach the semifinals of the ATX Open in Austin, Texas.

Pegula won 76.9 percent of her first-serve points and converted 5 of 7 break points while cruising to the victory. She is into her second semifinal of the season, the other coming at Adelaide where she eventually lost to Madison Keys in the final in January.

Pegula will next face Australian wild card Ajla Tomljanovic, who outlasted Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8) in their quarterfinal match. Tomljanovic saved a match point in the third-set tiebreaker while winning four of the final five points.

In other Friday quarterfinals, fifth-seeded McCartney Kessler of the United States overtook Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, and Belgium’s Greet Minnen pushed past the United States’ Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 7-5.

Merida Open Akron

Australian qualifier Daria Saville advanced to the semifinals in Merida, Mexico, when second-seeded Paula Badosa of Spain retired from their match in the second set due to a back injury.

Badosa won the first set 6-1 but trailed 5-3 in the second set before she was forced to stop.

The result sets up a matchup of qualifiers in the semifinals, as Saville will oppose Emiliana Arango. The Colombian player came back for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.

On the other side of the bracket, Elina Avanesyan of Armenia converted 9 of 14 break points while rallying for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 quarterfinal victory over Australian qualifier Maya Joint.

Avanesyan dominated the third set by winning 30 of the 44 total points. She advances to a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Emma Navarro of the United States, who toppled Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-2.

–Field Level Media