"I just tried to keep fighting": Jessica Pegula highlights how she got 'lucky' in win over Emma Raducanu

America’s Jessica Pegula has highlighted how she got ‘lucky’ in the third-round win of the China Open. The WTA 1000 event is moving towards the business end, where the remaining players are battling hard to secure the ultimate prize.

Pegula produced a remarkable turnaround as she defeated Britain’s Emma Raducanu with a score of 3-6, 7-6, 6-0 on Monday in the third round contest. In the second set, it seemed all done as Raducanu had three match points. However, not only did Pegula save those match points but also produced flawless tennis in the third set and eventually came out on top in the match.

While speaking to the media after the match, Pegula admitted that she got ‘a bit lucky’ with her backhand winners while saving those match points. Pegula also stated that her focus was on ‘fighting’ for as long as she could on the day.

“That was really intense to face match points, but I got myself back into it, and I wanted to keep the pressure on, and she hit the double fault, which helped, and I knew I was playing well,” said Pegula. “I got a bit lucky with the two backhand winners that I managed to squeeze in, but I just tried to keep fighting for as long as I could.”

Pegula also thanked the crowd for making the match a ‘fun atmosphere’. “That was a crazy match, thank you for the support for making it a fun atmosphere, you guys are rooting for both of us but it was a lot of fun out there,” said Pegula. “The crowd was awesome, and the court has been good to me, so I’m very excited to play here under the lights, I’m just happy to get through and hopefully I can come back on this court and see all the great fans once again.”

The result will be a big one for Pegula, who is currently pushing for a place in the upcoming WTA Finals. Pegula is currently ranked seventh in the WTA rankings and has 4,478 rating points. If she manages to go all the way and secure the title, Pegula will end up securing 5,263 rating points, which would push her ahead of Madison Keys, who is currently in sixth position.

Pegula’s next opponent will be Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk. The 23-year-old defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Russia in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-2 to book her spot in the fourth round of the competition. It will be the fifth meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In the previous four meetings, it was Pegula who had a clear advantage with three wins and just one defeat.

Their most recent meeting came in the fourth round of the Miami Open earlier this year, where Pegula came out on top in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-3. Their first-ever meeting took place in the round of 32 of the 2022 Cincinnati Open, where Pegula won with a score of 6-7, 6-1, 6-2. Their second meeting took place in the third round of the 2023 Australian Open, where Pegula was dominant once again, emerging victorious in straight sets with a score of 6-0, 6-2. Kostyuk’s only win against Pegula came in the semifinal of the San Diego Open in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-1.