Berlin, June 19 (IANS) Jessica Pegula battled past fellow American Madison Keys in a high-quality all-American quarterfinal at the Berlin Open ATP Tour event, prevailing in two tiebreaks to secure a semifinal berth and take a 3-2 lead in their head-to-head record.
The match repeatedly shifted between the two players before Pegula stayed calm in the crucial moments and claimed victory. Afterwards, the World No. 3 explained that her success on grass often comes from trusting her instincts, rather than being overly precise.
“Sometimes on grass I’m not really aiming,” Pegula said during her on-court interview. “It just goes wherever it wants to go. I think sometimes when you overthink and try to aim too much, the grass can really play you, and you lose control of the ball. So I just try to commit to hitting around the court. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad.”
Keys started stronger in the opening set, using her trademark power to break serve and go ahead 3-1. However, with a 4-2 lead, a series of errors let Pegula get back into the match. This momentum shift was crucial as Pegula took her first set point in the tiebreak, hitting a return winner to take the opener.
The second set followed a similar pattern but with the roles reversed. Pegula’s variety helped her build a 4-2 lead, but Keys fought back to level the match and push for another tiebreak.
In the final set, Pegula played some of her best tennis, including a brilliant running forehand pass and a perfectly judged lob. She showed impressive composure under pressure, saving two match points as Keys attacked on the return before finally converting her fourth opportunity to secure the win.
This victory continues an impressive grass-court run for Pegula in Berlin and brings her one win away from the final. She will next face either top seed Aryna Sabalenka or Czech wild card Nikola Bartunkova in the semifinals.
