WTA 1000 MIAMI OPEN by Emiliano Naftali
No.3 Jessica Pegula saved two match points to advance to her seventh WTA 1000 semifinal, defeating No.26 Anastasia Potapova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) at the Miami Open.Pegula becomes the first American to reach back-to-back final four appearances at Miami since Serena Williams in 2014 and 2015.
Pegula will face reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday. Rybakina is bidding to become the fifth woman to sweep the «Sunshine Double,» winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back in a single season.
«I don’t mind playing her, at least in the past,» Pegula said. «Obviously she’s picked up her level since then, so it’ll be a tough test, especially after this match, just physically see how I feel. Hopefully I can recover in time. At least I have another day.
«I think she and Sabalenka are the ones to beat right now so it’s going to be a great test and a deserved semi for a tournament like this.»
«Legs were heavy at like 2-0 in the third,» Pegula said. «I think I worked so hard to win that second set, and then to go up 2-0 to get the break, it just hit me and I kind of had a lull there for a couple of games.»
