Jessica Pegula, representing the USA, confidently advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, defeating reigning champion Madison Keys with a score of 6:3, 6:4.
The sixth seed of the tournament, Pegula has reached the final eight for the fourth time in her career at the Melbourne Park courts, thus ending Keys' title defense. The start of the match at Rod Laver Arena was powerful for Pegula: she quickly took a 3:0 lead in the first set, which she completed in just 31 minutes.
The second set proved to be more tense, and although the ninth seed Keys displayed an aggressive playing style, Pegula managed to break in the very first game and confidently maintained her advantage until the very end of the match.
Both tennis players entered the fourth round of the tournament without losing a single set. The intrigue was heightened by the fact that Pegula and Keys are close friends and co-host a podcast called The Player's Box.
In her next match in the quarterfinals, Jessica Pegula will face the winner of the match between fourth-seeded American Amanda Anisimova and Chinese player Wang Xinyu, continuing her quest for her first Grand Slam title.
