Wang Xinyu of China pulled off a stunning upset against second-seeded Jessica Pegula of the USA, defeating her 6-3, 7-5 in the women's singles round of 16 at the Wuhan Open held in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Thursday. This victory propels Wang into the quarterfinals of this prestigious Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament.
The match began with Wang converting two crucial service breaks in the first set, securing a 6-3 victory and taking a 1-0 overall lead. The second set intensified as both players held their serves in the first three games, leaving the score level at 3-3. Wang broke Pegula's serve in the eighth game, advancing to 5-3, but Pegula quickly responded by breaking back in the ninth game to even the score at 5-5.
Remaining composed under pressure, Wang served a love game in the 11th to regain the lead and converted her fourth break point in the decisive 12th game, clinching her first victory over a world top-three player. This win marks Wang's maiden appearance in the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event, highlighting her rising trajectory in the tennis world.
Reflecting on her performance, Wang stated at the post-match press conference, \"I think it was a close match today. I only converted one of two breaks in both sets and won the match in the final two games. I believe I did well in placing a lot of pressure on my opponent with my service returns.\"
In the upcoming quarterfinals, Wang will face Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, against whom she has split their previous two meetings.
Reference(s):
Wang Xinyu, Zheng Qinwen advance to quarterfinals at Wuhan Open
cgtn.com
