In a dramatic evening at the Miami Open, Jessica Pegula ended the streak of surprises by dispatching Britain’s unseeded player, Emma Raducanu, on Wednesday night. The fourth-seeded Pegula claimed victory with a score of 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2, in a match that lasted two hours and 25 minutes. This win secured her place in the Miami Open women’s semifinals for the third time in four years. She is now set to face Philippine teenager and wild card entrant, Alexandra Eala, on Thursday.
The day wrapped up late for Pegula, as the match concluded at 11:23 PM, leading to the postponement of the men’s quarterfinal between Novak Djokovic and Sebastian Korda until the following day. Meanwhile, Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, entered the tournament ranked 60th globally after dealing with coaching challenges and injuries. In their match, Pegula took the first set, but Raducanu displayed her formidable power to capture the second set, even as she appeared to struggle with the intense Miami humidity, which hit 70%.
Despite showing signs of physical strain, Raducanu managed to push Pegula by posting five set points during the American’s serve but could not capitalize on them. Following this, a medical timeout was called as Raducanu sat down looking overheated, prompting medical staff to check her blood pressure and provide refreshing ice bags and cool towels to offer relief. Perking up after the intervention, Raducanu took control of the tiebreaker with a decisive 7-3 win.
However, in the third set, Pegula regained momentum, breaking Raducanu’s serve early to lead 2-0. Subsequently, on the third break point, Pegula capitalized on a short ball from Raducanu, securing the match by breaking her serve at love.
In another intense men’s quarterfinal that stretched nearly three hours, 14th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov persevered through severe heat to outlast 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo with scores of 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3). Suffering from cramps, Dimitrov was escorted by a tournament doctor and ATP physiotherapist off the court after feeling dizzy while resting in his chair for over 25 minutes.
Even as Dimitrov, a former Miami Open finalist, was pushed to a match point in the third set at 5-6, he turned the tables to force a tiebreaker. Despite conceding seven set points in the first set and losing that tiebreaker, he now looks ahead to facing the winner of the Djokovic-Korda match in the next round.
Earlier on Wednesday, tournaments saw high seeds falling left and right. Teenage sensation Alexandra Eala upset the second-seeded Iga Swiatek in straight sets during the women’s quarterfinals, while on the men’s side, top seed Alexander Zverev was ousted by 17th seed Arthur Fils of France, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in a rain-delay-afflicted fourth-round clash.
Fils, having previously eliminated American Frances Tiafoe in a marathon three-setter, will challenge Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals on Thursday. During his contest against Zverev, Fils secured a break at 3-3 in the decisive set, ultimately winning the match on match point with a powerful shot along the left sideline.
Reflecting on his performance, Fils, who required back treatment after the initial set, admitted, “I was not feeling well during rallies. I’ve had an ongoing back issue since childhood, which flares occasionally. I focused on playing more aggressively to control the court, as letting him play allowed him to excel. I’m pleased with my victory today.”
Meanwhile, Eala, ranked 140th, is poised to become a prominent player from the Philippines after defeating Swiatek 6-2, 7-5. She marked her reputation by becoming the third wild card to reach the Miami Open semis, joining the likes of Justine Henin and Victoria Azarenka. Throughout the tournament, Eala has astonishingly knocked out three previous major winners, including Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, alongside Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion from Poland.
“There are overwhelming emotions right now,’’ Eala expressed, who never previously had triumphed over a top 40 player. “But happiness overwhelms every other feeling.”