Jessica Pegula closes in on Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport feat with US Open Round 1 victory
Jessica Pegula kickstarted her US Open campaign in style on Tuesday night – and moved closer to emulating two US greats.
Out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 30-year-old defeated fellow American Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3 in one of the final opening round matches to finish at this year’s US Open.
It was the final match of Rogers’ career, though victory for Pegula extends her impressive recent form against her fellow US stars.
Pegula has now won 13 matches in a row against American players – a run that extends across the past year.
In the past three decades, Serena Williams and Lindsay Davenport are the only two American women to better that streak.
Williams went on an 18-match winning run against US players spanning from the US Open in 2014 to the 2017 Auckland Open, where she was beaten by Madison Brengle.
Meanwhile, Davenport once won 19 matches in a row against US players, spanning from Indian Wells in 1998 into the same tournament the following year – where her streak was snapped by Williams.
The last time Pegula lost to an American player was at the US Open in 2023, where she was beaten 6-1, 6-3 by eventual semi-finalist Madison Keys in the round of 16.
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Since then she has won every single match she has played against her compatriots, and there are some significant results within that streak.
Pegula has twice beaten world No 3 and American No 1 Coco Gauff in that span, defeating her former doubles partner in straight sets in the last four of both the 2023 WTA Finals and 2024 Berlin Open.
She also defeated three Americans – Ashlyn Krueger, Peyton Stearns, and Amanda Anisimova – on her way to the Canadian Open title earlier this month.
Overall, she has an impressive 111-52 record against her compatriots – and has a chance to make it 14 wins in a row on Thursday.
The sixth seed faces Sofia Kenin in second round action in New York; former Australian Open winner Kenin will not be an easy opponent, but Pegula is the favourite to prevail.
Pegula’s Streak
1) 2023 Korea Open R16: def Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 6-1
2) 2023 Korea Open QF: def Claire Liu 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
3) 2023 WTA Finals SF: def Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-1
4) 2024 Adelaide International R16: def Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
5) 2024 Miami Open R16: def Emma Navarro 7-6(1), 6-3
6) 2024 Charleston Open R32: def Amanda Anisimova 3-6, 6-4 7-6(3)
7) 2024 Berlin Open SF: def Coco Gauff 7-5, 7-6(2)
8) 2024 Wimbledon R1: def Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-0
9) 2024 Canadian Open R16: def Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-4
10) 2024 Canadian Open QF: def Peyton Stearns 6-4, 7-5
11) 2024 Canadian Open F: def Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
12) 2024 Cincinnati Open R16: def Taylor Townsend 6-2, 6-3
13) 2024 US Open R1: def Shelby Rogers 6-4, 6-3
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