Riding on a wave of recent successes, Jessica Pegula, the fourth seed, has once again demonstrated her formidable tennis prowess. She dispatched world number 42, Wang Xinyu, in a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory, catapulting her into the round-of-16 at the prestigious Indian Wells. This triumph marks Pegula’s seventh winning streak in a row, an impressive feat that has turned heads in the tennis world.
The American tennis star, fresh off her victory at the WTA 250 tournament in Austin, initially stumbled at the starting line of her third-round match in the scorching desert heat. Despite a rocky start, in which she was broken in the first game, Pegula quickly regained her footing. The 2024 US Open finalist swiftly claimed three breaks, demonstrating her control of the game and easily securing the first set.
Pegula’s momentum did not wane as the match progressed. She dominated the opening of the second set, swiftly establishing a 3-0 lead. Though Wang managed to halt Pegula’s seven-game winning streak by taking the fourth game, it proved to be a minor blip. Pegula quickly reestablished her dominance, claiming the following three games and wrapping up her victory in a brisk one hour and two minutes.
Pegula is keen to extend her winning streak at Indian Wells, a tournament that holds much prestige despite not being a Grand Slam event. Surprisingly, no American WTA player has seized the title in this desert tournament since Serena Williams’ victory in 2001.
In response to this, the world number four expressed her ambition to end this long-standing drought for American women’s tennis. “I think it would be awesome just because there are so many massive tennis fans that come to this tournament. I think this is one of the tournaments that fans, it’s kind of on their bucket list,” Pegula stated at the commencement of Indian Wells.
She further emphasized the significance of an American victory, which would boost the visibility of tennis in the U.S., “They are just very avid tennis fans. Yeah, it would be awesome. It would go a long way for our sport in the US and maybe not quite as big as US Open, but I think it would have that same feel, same exposure.”
Pegula’s next challenge lies in either Danielle Collins or Elina Svitolina. As she continues her journey in Indian Wells, the tennis world watches with bated breath, anticipating her next move.
