Jessica Pegula held off a determined challenge from Ekaterina Alexandrova to move into the next round of the Wuhan Open.
The sixth seed was pushed hard by her Russian opponent before closing out the match in three sets, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
She will now face Katerina Siniakova in the quarter-finals as she looks to continue her strong form. Pegula is part of a deep group of American players on tour, including Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova.
The win over Alexandrova was another sign that Pegula is becoming one of the most consistent players on the WTA Tour. She started well and broke serve early to take control of the first set.
Pegula’s powerful start
That got even better at 4-1 up when she raced away with five consecutive points from an Alexandrova break point.
Pegula made it a double-break at 5-2 when she hit her eighth winner of the match before serving for the set at 5-4 up. But after getting back into position, she faltered with her serve and allowed Alexandrova to break back before levelling things at 5-5.
Pegula broke again immediately in the second set but struggled for consistency from there. She dropped five straight games as Alexandrova took full control with two breaks, eventually closing out with an ace to level up at one set apiece.
Jessica Pegula becomes oldest player to reach Wuhan and China Open quarter-finals in same season
It hasn’t been a straightforward path for Jessica Pegula in Wuhan, with both of her opening matches going the distance. Despite the early challenges, she’s now picked up a new WTA record.
According to OptaAce, Pegula is now the oldest player to make it into the quarter-finals of both Beijing and Wuhan in a single season.
Pegula reached this milestone at 31 years and 224 days old. The previous record belonged to Petra Kvitova, who did it at 29 years and 206 days.
The list also includes Dominika Cibulková, Angelique Kerber, and Agnieszka Radwańska.
Pegula was recently knocked out by 26th seed Linda Noskova at the China Open. She’ll be looking to avoid another setback when she plays her next quarter-final match.
How did Jessica Pegula do at the 2024 Wuhan Open?
Jessica Pegula has already advanced further at the 2025 Wuhan Open than she did in 2024.
During last year’s tournament, Pegula opened her campaign with a 6-2 2-0 [RET] victory over Anastasia Potapova. However, she was then stunned by Chinese star Wang Xinyu, losing 6-3, 7-5.
READ MORE: Amanda Anisimova earns huge praise from Pam Shriver after second WTA 1000 title of 2025
Pegula had more success in doubles that year. Teaming up with Asia Muhammad, they made it to the final before falling to Anna Danilina and Irina Pavlovna Chromachova.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
