Pegula Advances to Face Alexandrova in Wuhan Open

Jessica Pegula, seeded sixth, secured a spot in the third round of the Wuhan Open by overcoming fellow American Hailey Baptiste in a thrilling match that ended 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6). The contest, held at Centre Court on Wednesday, saw Pegula convert her seventh match point.

Pegula clinched the first set 6-4, capitalizing on an early break. Baptiste responded strongly in the second set, establishing a 5-2 advantage after securing two breaks against Pegula.

Pegula narrowed the gap to 5-4, but Baptiste persevered to extend the match to a deciding set. Despite the heat, both athletes opted to continue playing without taking a break.

In the third set, Pegula surged to a 5-2 lead, but Baptiste mounted a comeback, ultimately failing to capitalize on five match points. Following a tense tiebreak and a final set that stretched for nearly 74 minutes, Pegula finally seized victory, holding serve at 5-6 to convert her seventh match point.

Reflecting on her victory, Pegula acknowledged the closeness of the match, noting that a momentary lapse in confidence allowed her opponent an opportunity to rally.

“I’m not sure how to describe that match,” Pegula commented.

“It was a grueling battle. I had opportunities to win, but then she elevated her game. I believe I became slightly hesitant, and sometimes that’s all it takes for an opponent to regain control.”

Pegula’s next challenge will be against ninth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova on Thursday. Alexandrova advanced by defeating American Ann Li with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-2.

In another main event match, Aryna Sabalenka triumphed over Rebecca Sramkova with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.