Pegula holds firm through Wuhan’s seven-match-point saga
In a match that twisted from control to chaos, Jessica Pegula fended off a fierce comeback by Hailey Baptiste, converting her seventh match point to extend her hard-court momentum amid a draining fall schedule.
Jessica Pegula arrived in Wuhan still shaking off the sting of a semifinal loss to Linda Noskova in Beijing, where unforced errors had unraveled her in the decider. Facing fellow American Hailey Baptiste for the third time—their first meeting in over three years—the No. 6 seed aimed to maintain her perfect head-to-head record against the 23-year-old. What unfolded over nearly three hours became a test of endurance and nerve, as Pegula claimed a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) victory in 2 hours and 55 minutes, advancing to the third round for the second straight year here.
The opener unfolded with Pegula asserting early command on the medium-paced hard courts, breaking Baptiste right away after surging to 0-40 on deep returns that targeted the second serve. She consolidated at 2-0 by saving three break points through four deuces, mixing crosscourt forehands with occasional down-the-line backhands to stretch her opponent side to side. Though Baptiste clawed back to 4-3 with two straight games fueled by aggressive net rushes, Pegula’s love hold—capped by a precise inside-out forehand—sealed the set in 50 minutes, the humid air buzzing with the crowd’s growing anticipation.
“I don’t really know what to say about that match,” Pegula said afterward. “It’s been brutal. You know, I had match points, and then she started playing well. I think I just got a little tentative, and that’s all it takes sometimes for someone to come back. So, I mean, I’m really proud of myself for how I held it together, because I think I easily could’ve just collapsed. But I held tough, so yeah, that was a wild ride.”
Second set slips expose vulnerabilities
Momentum swung sharply in the second as Baptiste broke twice to forge a 3-0 lead, her flat forehands down-the-line exploiting Pegula’s flatter serves that skimmed higher than ideal on the grippy surface. Pegula’s returns grew tentative, allowing the younger player to stretch the advantage to 5-2 with improved depth on crosscourt shots that pinned her deep in the baseline. She broke back to 5-4, frustration flashing across her face after a gritty exchange, but Baptiste steadied, repelling five game points before converting her second set point in 52 minutes, the stands humming with the shift in energy.
With the heat rule in effect for the second day, both declined the 10-minute break and plunged into the decider, the sun casting long shadows over the court. Pegula’s fifth consecutive three-setter weighed heavy, yet her eyes stayed fixed ahead, channeling the Beijing fade into renewed focus. For full context on the tournament’s flow, the Wuhan scores, draws, and order of play capture the day’s unfolding drama.
Third set rally demands mental reset
Pegula dominated the early third, building a 5-2 edge through steady one–two serves followed by deep crosscourt returns that forced Baptiste into stretched defensive lobs. The hard courts’ true bounce suited her cleaner hitting, redirecting power inside-in during rallies that echoed with the thwack of strung tension. Fatigue from recent marathons showed in fleeting errors, but her determination held, setting up a clash with No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who had dispatched Ann Li earlier.
Baptiste mounted a furious surge, saving five match points to level at 5-all, her underspin backhands disrupting the rhythm and turning defense into sharp counters on the run. Pegula earned a break point to regain the lead but netted a forehand, allowing the 23-year-old to push ahead 6-5 and serve for the upset. She held serve convincingly to force the tiebreak, the crowd’s murmurs rising with each point in the 74-minute set.
Tiebreak resolve defines survival
In the decider’s climax, Pegula dropped a sixth match point before converting the seventh with a decisive inside-out forehand winner that Baptiste couldn’t chase down, securing an 8-6 edge. The intensity captured the essence of survive and advance on these courts, where every point carried the weight of a late-season push. None of her prior three-setters, not even the Noskova defeat, matched this raw drama, her relief spilling out in a single, camera-staring “Wow.”
That was INTENSE 😅@JPegula finds a way to win the final set tiebreak 8-6 to progress against Baptiste.#WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/obL3bp4x4m
— wta (@WTA) October 8, 2025
This victory bolsters Pegula’s top-10 perch, adding vital points amid the Asia swing’s grind, as @JPegula‘s resolve shone through the #WuhanOpen‘s fervor, highlighted in that pic.twitter.com/obL3bp4x4m clip from October 8, 2025. Facing Alexandrova next—a hard-court power hitter with flat strokes akin to Baptiste’s but amplified—Pegula’s tactical layers, from varied underspin to pattern shifts, position her for deeper runs. The Wuhan hard courts reward such adaptability, aligning with her all-court game to fuel a potential rebound toward year-end contention.
