Pegula rediscovers rhythm to outlast Navarro
Jessica Pegula’s hard-court campaign faced a Beijing stutter, but a simple mental reset propelled her past Emma Navarro into her first China Open semifinals, setting up a intriguing clash with Linda Noskova.
In the crisp autumn light of Beijing’s Diamond Court, Jessica Pegula confronted a season’s worth of pressure in her quarterfinal against fellow American Emma Navarro. The No. 5 seed built an early lead, serving for the first set twice and earning six set points, only to watch them vanish as Navarro’s defensive tenacity forced a tiebreak. The opener slipped away 6-7 (2), leaving Pegula to regroup amid the crowd’s murmur of anticipation on the medium-paced hard courts.
First-set collapse exposes mental strain
Pegula’s forehand, a reliable weapon in extended rallies, began veering wide on crosscourt drives, while her inside-out backhands lost their penetration against Navarro’s quick retrieval. The American’s flat groundstrokes and ability to redirect pace turned the set into a grueling affair, amplifying every unforced error on the grippy acrylic surface. This stumble echoed the fatigue from a year of majors and finals, testing the higher seed’s composure in an all-American showdown that drew expat cheers and local curiosity.
Navarro fed off the momentum, her baseline consistency pinning Pegula back and disrupting the rhythm she had established early. The tiebreak loss could have unraveled the No. 5 seed further, but instead, it prompted a pivotal pause.
“I told myself not to get too frustrated,” Pegula said after the match. “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.”
Relaxation fuels second-set dominance
Embracing that counsel, Pegula loosened her grip in the second set, incorporating slice backhands to vary pace and disrupt Navarro’s footing. She targeted the backhand with deeper inside-in forehands, opening angles for down-the-line winners that sliced through the court. The shift yielded a 6-2 victory, as her movement sharpened and the one–two combinations off her serve overwhelmed the defense that had thrived earlier.
The crowd’s energy built with each break, the autumn sun dipping low and casting dynamic shadows across the baseline exchanges. Navarro, riding high from the opener, now scrambled to counter a freer-flowing opponent whose adjustments exposed the limits of pure retrieval on this surface.
Third-set surge secures semifinal berth
Carrying the momentum into the decider, Pegula dismantled her compatriot 6-1, wrapping the two-hour match with precise net approaches and steadier serving. Her patterns evolved, favoring crosscourt redirection off short balls to exploit gaps, turning Navarro’s speed into a disadvantage in prolonged points. This win marks Pegula’s deepest run here, a testament to her growth in high-stakes hard-court battles.
For the tournament’s latest developments, Beijing provides Scores, Draws, and Order of play to follow every rally. Next, the No. 26 seed Linda Noskova awaits with her powerful groundstrokes, demanding Pegula maintain this poise for a shot at the final under the evening lights.
