American Jessica Pegula displayed an impressive comeback at the China Open by defeating Veronika Kudermetova in a thrilling third-round match. After losing a marathon first set in a tiebreaker, Pegula bounced back to win 6-7 (9), 6-1, 6-2. Pegula’s recent success includes 17 wins in her last 19 matches, with notable achievements such as defending her title in Toronto and making finals in Cincinnati and the U.S. Open.
The match against Kudermetova saw Pegula making three service breaks in the first set but also losing three of her own. Despite the setback of losing the tiebreaker, Pegula regrouped and broke her opponent’s serve twice in each of the following sets to secure the victory. This win marked Pegula’s first against the 39th-ranked Kudermetova in three attempts.
Moving forward, Pegula is set to face Paola Badosa, the 15th seed, in the fourth round after Badosa defeated Rebecca Sramkova. In another dramatic turnaround, Poland’s Magdalena Frech, seeded 23rd, rallied from a disastrous start to defeat Diana Shnaider 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Frech will now challenge wildcard Zhang Shuai in the next round.
Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, local player Bu Yunchaokete scored a significant upset by defeating Paris Olympics bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti. Bu’s win, his first against a top 20-player, sets up a match against either Andrey Rublev or Alejando Davidovich Fokina in the subsequent round. Additionally, seventh-seeded Karen Khacharov advanced to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
In the Japan Open, Tomas Machac secured a spot in the semifinals in Tokyo with a commanding 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over American qualifier Alex Michelsen. The No.34-ranked Machac’s performance included eight aces and crucial breaks of Michelsen’s serve. Machac is now preparing to face Ugo Humbert in the semifinals following Humbert’s walkover win against Jack Draper.
Overall, the China Open and Japan Open continue to provide thrilling matches, with top players showcasing their skills and determination on the court. Fans can expect more intense competition as the tournaments progress.