Jessica Pegula, the No. 4 seed, secured her place in the Miami Open semifinals by defeating Emma Raducanu in a three-set match. The final score was 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2.
Pegula`s victory marks her third Miami semifinal appearance in the past four years. This win against the 2021 US Open champion is her second in three career matches against Raducanu, reversing the outcome of their previous encounter where Raducanu achieved her first Top 10 win against Pegula in Eastbourne last summer.
With her 19th win of the season, Pegula aims to reach her first Miami final and her sixth WTA 1000 final overall. Her next opponent is Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old wildcard from the Philippines, who caused a major upset by defeating World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the other quarterfinal.
Pegula had the chance to win in straight sets but faced a strong comeback from Raducanu in the second set. Raducanu saved four set points and fought back from a 5-2 deficit to win the tiebreak. Despite receiving medical attention, Raducanu continued to compete, but Pegula`s early break in the third set proved decisive.
Raducanu had a chance to break back in the third set, but Pegula held firm and won the last eight points of the match to secure her victory.
Reflecting on the match, Pegula acknowledged the high level of play from both competitors. She mentioned a slight dip in her performance in the second set but emphasized her strong start in the third to regain control. Pegula expressed her love for playing in Miami and her strong desire to reach the final this year.
The match between Pegula and Raducanu was a closely contested battle lasting over two hours and 25 minutes. Pegula recorded 48 winners and 27 unforced errors, while Raducanu had 30 winners and 18 unforced errors. A key difference was break point conversion, with Pegula converting four of nine opportunities and saving five of six break points against her.
Pegula is aiming to overcome her past Miami semifinal results, where she has not won a set in her previous two appearances. Despite being the favorite against Eala, Pegula is aware of the young player`s potential, especially after Eala`s victories over multiple Grand Slam champions in this tournament.
