NEW YORK (Reuters) – A surprise shower failed to stop American Jessica Pegula from reaching her third Grand Slam quarter-final this year as she toppled twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-2 at the U.S. Open on Monday.
One of the most reliable returners in the sport, Czech Kvitova had won both of their previous meetings but was left to rue her missed chances — as she converted only two of the six break points she earned.
Rain forced a 44-minute stoppage early on in the match, with tournament staff scrambling to close the retractable roof on Ashe and mop up the court.
But eighth seed Pegula was unfazed as she broke Kvitova to love in the seventh and ninth games to close out the first set.
Even when Kvitova took a 2-0 lead in the second, Pegula kept her nerve to storm back and win the next six games to wrap up the win.
“I just told myself not to get frustrated,” Pegula said after she joined fellow American Coco Gauff in the last eight. “I just really wanted to stay committed to hitting my spots.
“It feels amazing – I’m so happy. I thought I handled my nerves and stuff really well.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
