In a compelling quarterfinal clash at the Miami Open, No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula triumphed over Emma Raducanu, securing the final spot in the semifinal lineup. Pegula`s victory came in three sets, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2, in a Wednesday night match at Hard Rock Stadium.
Pegula, an American player, has now reached the Miami semifinal for the third time in the past four years. This win marks her second victory over the 2021 US Open champion, Raducanu, in their three career encounters. It also avenges her defeat to Raducanu at Eastbourne last summer, where Raducanu achieved her first Top 10 win against Pegula.
With her 19th win of the season, Pegula is aiming for her sixth WTA 1000 final, and her first in Miami. Her semifinal opponent will be Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old wild card from the Philippines. Eala is considered a Cinderella story of the tournament after stunning World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in another quarterfinal match on Wednesday.
Pegula had an opportunity to finish the match in two sets but faced a strong comeback from Raducanu in the second. Raducanu fought off four set points to turn a 5-2 deficit into a tiebreak win. Despite receiving medical attention on a humid Miami evening, Raducanu continued to compete fiercely. However, an early break in the third set gave Pegula the decisive advantage.
Raducanu had a chance to break back in the third game of the final set, but Pegula successfully defended it and then dominated the remainder of the match, winning the last eight points to clinch the victory.
Reflecting on the match, Pegula acknowledged the high level of play from both competitors. The match lasted over 2 hours and 25 minutes and was closely contested. Pegula landed six aces and hit 48 winners with 27 unforced errors, while Raducanu recorded 30 winners and 18 unforced errors, along with three aces. A key factor was break point conversion, where Pegula capitalized on four of nine opportunities and saved five out of six break points against her.
Looking ahead to the semifinals, Pegula is hoping to overcome her previous Miami semifinal losses. She has not won a set in her prior two appearances at this stage in Miami. In 2022, she lost to Swiatek, and in 2023, she was defeated by Elena Rybakina.
Although Pegula is favored against Eala, currently ranked No. 140, she is wary of the young player`s potential. Eala has already upset three Grand Slam champions in this tournament, making her a formidable opponent in her first tour-level semifinal.
