A draw blown apart, one last outpost
In Austin the seeds disappeared like dust in a storm. Pegula pulled out. Iva Jovic crashed out early.
And yet, as the semifinals loom, the American flag is still flying high.
Three Americans are left standing in the Texas title race. Quiet dominance, but it’s real.
Peyton Stearns, the survivor
The last seed left before the quarters, Peyton Stearns survived a thriller.
Against Oksana Selekhmeteva the world No.62 opened in control: 6-1, 4-3 with a break. Total domination. Then the storm hit. The Russian fought back, flipped the momentum and forced a decider.
And then more madness. Stearns led 3-0, double break. Selekhmeteva rattled off four straight. The match turned tense, mentally punishing.
Stearns served for the match at 5-4, blew the chance, regrouped and then closed it out at 6-5.
She won 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 in 2h31.
A grind like that makes a favorite.
Birrell cools Tomljanovic
In an all-Aussie clash, Kimberly Birrell let fresh legs do the talking.
A clean 6-3, 6-3 win over Ajla Tomljanovic. The 32-year-old had been in good form — wins over Venus Williams and Iva Jovic — but in the quarters she couldn’t find an answer.
Birrell now faces Stearns for a spot in the final. Clash of styles: an American oozing confidence against an Aussie who’s solid and opportunistic.
Townsend and Krueger: the American story rolls on
On the other half, the Texan crowd is guaranteed an American in the final.
Taylor Townsend reached her first ever WTA main-draw semifinal after a comeback win over Rebeka Masarova, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
Across the net, Ashlyn Krueger handled Chinese lucky loser Yuan Yue 7-6, 6-4. Calm in the crunch. Patient when it mattered.
So Austin will have at least one American in the final. Maybe two.
Texas loves a hometown storyline.
And this weekend American tennis has decided to write one.
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