the American Jessica Pegula (3) downed Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk by an intense 6-0 and 6-2 in just over an hour and will meet in the round of 16 of the Australian Open with Czech Barbora Krejcikova (20), who for her part defeated Kalinina 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the morning.
“I didn’t give many free points. I didn’t serve well but I served intelligently”, he commented after the end of a match held at Margaret Court and preceded by the Spanish Cristina Bucsa against the Polish Iga Swiatek (1).
Pegula, who managed to defeat Poland’s Swiatek in the recent United Cup, has won just eleven games in the six sets played so far in the competition.
Although the result is huge, the reality is quite different after four of the first six games reached deuce.
In the same way, the second set developed with the young Ukrainian recovering a break from behind and missing a simple forehand volley that would have made it 4-3.
Her next opponent is the 2021 Roland Garros champion, the Czech Krejcikovawho lost only fourteen games in six sets played.
“I’ve seen a lot of her and I think she’s rediscovering her game. We have never played in singles”, commented Pegula about the state of form of his single Krejcikova who regained good feelings after a cautious period.
In other matches of the day, American Coco Gauff (7) and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (17) met against American Bernarda Pera and Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl, respectively, and they will meet in the round of 16.
Gauff equaled her best record in the ocean nation, the fourth round taken in the 2020 edition, after falling to her compatriot and eventual champion Sofia Kenin.
The result could have been greater if not for Gauff wasting up to twelve breaking balls. He converted just four of the 16 options he had.
For her part, Ostapenko closed out her game after one hour and six minutes in a clash in which she converted 37 winners and offered just one breaking ball.
This is the first time the 2017 Roland Garros champion has played in the round of 16 at the first Grand Slam of the season.
Source: La Verdad
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