US Open 2023 outcome: Jessica Pegula defeated by Madison Keys; Marketa Vondrousova emerges victorious
Third Seed Jessica Pegula Left in Tears After Disappointing US Open Loss
The third seed and a strong contender for the title, Jessica Pegula, had a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of her American compatriot Madison Keys in the fourth round of the US Open.
Pegula, who had been performing exceptionally well on the WTA Tour lately, failed to live up to expectations with a rather dismal performance resulting in a 6-1, 6-3 loss.
This disappointing outcome adds to Pegula’s record of not being able to progress beyond quarter-finals at any Grand Slam tournament so far.
In contrast, Madison Keys is no stranger to success at this stage as she was the runner-up in New York back in 2017. She will now face Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova next.
Despite defeating top-ranked Iga Swiatek during her triumph at the Canadian Open leading up to this final major event of the year, Pegula has consistently struggled when it comes to making breakthroughs at Grand Slams. In six attempts, she has never advanced past the last eight stage.
Pegula’s struggle began right from the start as she found it difficult to find her rhythm against Madison Key’s powerful shots. With only three winners throughout an abysmal first set that lasted just 28 minutes; things quickly went downhill for her when she lost an early break in the second set.
Although Pegula managed to recover the break when Keys made a few mistakes, she couldn’t maintain her momentum and lost the next three games as Keys regained control of the match.
The two players share a close friendship and have often trained together, which was evident in their warm embrace at the net before an emotional Pegula left the court.
In another quarter-final match, Marketa Vondrousova had to battle hard against determined American Peyton Stearns. Vondrousova eventually secured a 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Stearns. This is Vondrousova’s first time reaching this stage at the US Open.