Thirty minutes, and Pegula was a set down
Leylah Fernandez needed half an hour to take the opening set 6-1 from the world No. 3 today in New York. Jessica Pegula could not find the court early, handed over a break in her first service game through a run of unforced errors, and only showed life at 0-3, 0-30 on her own serve. Fernandez broke to love for 5-1 and served the set out.
Five years ago the Canadian did something similar to Naomi Osaka, then ranked third in the world, in the same round at the same tournament, and rode it all the way to the final. For half an hour on Friday the pattern looked ready to repeat itself.
It did not. Pegula cleaned up her game in the second set, broke for 4-2, then saved four break points to consolidate at 5-2. Serving for the set she blinked, netting a forehand to let Fernandez back on serve, but the Canadian could not draw level. At 4-5 she went down double set point and netted a backhand.
Try it for $0.99.
The break points tell the story
Fernandez had the first chance in the decider and missed both returns at 15-40 in the third game. She paid for it immediately, dropping serve in the next game after two forehand errors and a backhand wide. Pegula did not face a break point again, riding that single break to a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.
Conversion is where the match was lost. Fernandez took three of her 11 break-point chances. Pegula took three from three. The American also finished with 26 winners to 13, though she paid for the aggression with 29 unforced errors against her opponent’s 25.
What it leaves behind
Pegula moves into the fourth round after needing only 56 minutes to see off Sofia Kenin in the previous round, so the slow start was out of character rather than a pattern.
For Fernandez it is a second straight third-round exit at Flushing Meadows. She has not reached the last 16 here since that run to the 2021 final. She was the only Canadian woman left in the singles draw and remains in the doubles alongside Janice Tjen.
Discover the rest of our Tennis news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply