Pegula turns fatigue into fuel for Wuhan semifinal
Deep into a draining Asian swing, Jessica Pegula faces yet another three-set battle, her body screaming for rest but her will pushing her to a breakthrough victory over Katerina Siniakova.
Jessica Pegula’s streak of six three-set wins in seven consecutive matches has carved a path through the grueling hard-court circuit, a testament to her endurance that echoes the intensity of past tennis legends without matching their records. On Friday at the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open, the American dropped the first set 6-2 to qualifier Katerina Siniakova in just over 30 minutes, her movements labored after more than 15 hours on court over the past 13 days. Yet in the humid Wuhan air, Pegula reset, storming back to claim the second set 6-0 in 23 minutes and sealing a 6-3 decider for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 triumph in 1 hour and 36 minutes, advancing to her first semifinal here.
Exhaustion exposes early vulnerabilities
Siniakova struck first with varied underspin slices that skidded low on the hard courts, forcing Pegula into defensive positions and disrupting her one–two patterns. The Czech’s crosscourt angles exploited the American’s fatigue, turning inside-out forehands into errors as the set slipped away quickly. Pegula’s shoulders sagged under the weight of her recent schedule, the crowd’s murmurs amplifying the tension in the afternoon light.
Even as the opener ended, she gathered herself, eyes fixed on the baseline, channeling the season’s frustrations into a mental pivot that would soon shift the momentum.
“I don’t know,” Pegula said after the match. “I guess I’m in really good shape. I definitely don’t think I need to play anymore matches or work on any physical stuff because I’ve been able to battle through these matches and play really well. But yeah, I don’t know.
“I’m happy I’ve been able to figure things out. Obviously, I wish maybe it was more straightforward for my mental and physical sake, but if I win every match for the rest of my life in three sets, I think I’d be pretty happy.”
Tactical adjustments ignite second-set dominance
Resetting between sets, Pegula stepped inside the baseline to take returns aggressively, unleashing down-the-line backhands that neutralized Siniakova’s slices and pulled her off the court. Her serve gained bite with deep, kicking seconds that pinned the qualifier back, while crosscourt rallies quickened her footwork and drew rising cheers from the stands. This surge wasn’t just physical recovery; it stemmed from adapting to the surface’s true bounce, shortening her backswing for faster recovery and mixing inside-in forehands to keep Siniakova guessing.
For those following the tournament’s pulse, Wuhan: Scores | Draws | Order of play provide the latest on this unfolding drama, capturing every shift in the draws.
Decider highlights resilient endurance
In the third set, Siniakova fought back with renewed underspin angles, but Pegula held firm, her improved movement allowing her to redirect crosscourt exchanges into winners. Backhand down-the-line shots punctuated key games, wearing down the Czech’s defenses amid the fading light and building crowd energy. The 6-3 close marked another chapter in Pegula’s saga, her adaptability on these swift hard courts turning potential breakdowns into breakthroughs.
As the semifinals approach, this victory bolsters her top-10 standing and mental edge, raising questions about how far her three-set resilience can carry her through the autumn’s relentless circuit.
