Jessica Pegula makes ‘weird’ WTA Finals admission as Marta Kostyuk forced into drastic action in loss
Jessica Pegula admitted that beating Marta Kostyuk at the WTA Finals gave her a “weird” sensation after ending her three-match losing streak.
The American hasn’t played a great deal since making the semi-finals of the US Open, where she lost to beaten finalist Aryna Sabalenka.
The 32-year-old pulled out of the Singapore Open, the China Open, and the Pan Pacific Open during the Asian Swing due to fatigue and a back injury, respectively, and then lost in her first-round match in Wuhan to Jelena Ostapenko.
A three-set defeat to compatriot Coco Gauff in their WTA Finals opener on Sunday meant Pegula had to beat Kostyuk in Indian Wells on Tuesday to keep her semi-final hopes alive.
And the world No 5 did just that, ousting the Ukrainian 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 29 minutes. Ahead of facing Linda Noskova, who has already qualified for the last four, in her last round-robin encounter, Pegula was asked about where she feels she is at with her game.
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When it was put to her that this was only her third match since the US Open, Pegula admitted it was strange getting back into the swing of things at the WTA Finals.
She told Tennis Channel, “It felt weird to win a match! At the US Open, I lost my last match and then I went to Asia, lost first round, and then lost to Coco, so I won and I was like ‘Wow, this feels good again to get the post interview and get some fans cheering for me’.
“I think I am playing well. My match against Coco was a super high level match. Today, obviously different conditions and player but I still felt I played pretty well and solid.”
On the flip side, alternate Kostyuk was called in at the last moment to replace world No 1 Elena Rybakina at the season-ending tournament in California.
The world No 10 has been nursing a wrist injury for weeks now and looked off the pace in her straight-sets defeats to Gauff and Pegula over the past few days.
As she prepares to face Gauff, safe in the knowledge she cannot reach the semi-finals, Kostyuk lifted the lid on her physical struggles at present.
She said after her loss, “I think I need more matches, I need more practice again, same conversation, nothing changed. It’s not like after one day of practice suddenly I am going to find my game.
“I was lacking general repetition. I had to change my serve during the middle of the match today because my wrist wasn’t holding as well as I would like it to because I am still trying to find the motion. It’s not easy but I am embracing the challenge.”
The fact that she is still struggling with her wrist, and even had to alter her serve, may be music to the ears of Gauff ahead of their contest on Thursday.
Kostyuk hit five aces but also registered nine double faults. Her first serve percentage was down at 53% and she won just 31% of her second serves. That doesn’t bode well ahead of facing Gauff.
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