BEIJING: Jessica Pegula produced a composed fightback to defeat fellow American Emma Navarro 6-7(2) 6-2 6-1 on Friday, booking her spot in the semi-finals of the China Open.
The world number seven stumbled in the opening set despite holding three set points, as Navarro rallied to force a tiebreak and snatched the lead. But Pegula quickly regrouped, raising her level to dominate the next two sets and seal her third consecutive victory over her compatriot.
“She did a good job of staying tough, but at the same time I felt I was playing the right way,” Pegula said. “I told myself to not get too frustrated. That kind of allowed me to play more free.”
Pegula will now face Czech 26th seed Linda Noskova, who earlier claimed a 6-3 6-4 win over Britain’s Sonay Kartal to reach her first WTA 1000 semi-final.
