Pegula turns frustration into China Open semifinal breakthrough
In Beijing’s tense quarterfinals, Jessica Pegula shook off a squandered opener to overpower Emma Navarro, joining an American surge toward the China Open final four.
Under the stadium lights in Beijing, Jessica Pegula clawed her way into the China Open semifinals, becoming the third American to do so this week. The fifth seed faced a gritty battle against compatriot Emma Navarro, a match that stretched her patience on the medium-paced hard courts. Pegula’s victory, sealed with a 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 scoreline, highlighted her ability to adapt amid rising pressure, turning a shaky start into a commanding finish.
Rallying from early setbacks
Pegula seized control early, generating six set points in the first frame through deep crosscourt forehands that pinned Navarro back. But the American’s resilient defense and timely inside-out winners forced errors, dragging the set into a tiebreak that Pegula lost 7-2. As frustration flickered across her face, the crowd’s energy shifted with each missed chance, underscoring the mental toll of a packed hard-court season.
She regrouped swiftly, loosening her grip on the game plan to unleash freer strokes in the second set. Breaking serve with a sharp down-the-line backhand, Pegula built momentum, her one–two combinations finding rhythm as Navarro‘s backhand faltered under sustained pressure. By the third set, the shift felt complete, Pegula’s movement fluid and her returns probing, leading to a 6-1 closeout that echoed her tactical depth.
“I told myself not to get too frustrated,” Pegula said. “Just stay calm, try to relax a little bit, and not try as hard to execute the game plan. That kind of allowed me to play more free.”
Noskova’s rise adds intrigue
Ahead waits Linda Noskova, the 20-year-old Czech who advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Britain’s Sonay Kartal, her flat groundstrokes cutting through the court like blades. Noskova’s run marks her as the youngest Czech to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal since the format began in 2009, blending youthful power with growing poise. For Pegula, this pits experience against emerging threat, where varying pace and redirecting Noskova’s aggression down-the-line could prove decisive.
The Beijing surface, with its balanced speed, favors Pegula’s all-court game, allowing her to extend rallies and exploit any overhit shots from the baseline. As the Czech’s serve holds firm, Pegula’s calm resets from the Navarro match suggest she’s primed to navigate this stylistic contrast. The semifinal carries weight, a chance to build on her season’s grind and chase deeper into a tournament alive with American momentum.
All-American clash fuels final hopes
The draw’s other side sets up defending champion Coco Gauff against third-seeded Amanda Anisimova, an all-American duel brimming with firepower and familiarity. Gauff’s athletic retrievals will challenge Anisimova’s heavy topspin forehands, both drawing on hard-court instincts honed through a relentless calendar. Pegula eyes that potential final, where national depth meets personal stakes on courts that reward mental steel.
Beijing’s atmosphere hums with anticipation, the echo of rallies blending with cooler autumn air. Pegula’s path forward hinges on sustaining that liberated play, transforming seasonal pressure into the focus needed for a title push. In a field pulsing with possibility, her composure positions her as a quiet force ready to seize the moment.