No. 6 seed battles back in thriller to keep WTA Finals hopes alive
Jessica Pegula endured a “wild ride” on Wednesday at the Wuhan Open, narrowly escaping a remarkable comeback from Hailey Baptiste to secure a hard-fought victory. The win keeps Pegula on track for her fourth consecutive WTA Finals appearance.
What initially looked like a straightforward final set turned into a tense battle. Pegula held a 5-2 double-break lead, only to see Baptiste claw back, breaking at love and leveling the score. After saving multiple break points and facing a surge of pressure, Pegula eventually pushed the decider into a tiebreak, where she converted her seventh match point to end a marathon two-hour-and-57-minute clash.
“I don’t really know what to say about that match. It’s been brutal,” Pegula said in her on-court interview. “I had match points, and then she started playing well. I just got a little tentative, and that’s all it takes sometimes for someone to come back. I’m really proud of myself for holding it together.”
A tense battle with significant stakes
Pegula’s resilience comes on the heels of a similar heartbreak in Beijing, where she squandered three match points against Linda Noskova. With three spots remaining for the WTA Finals, Pegula’s victory in Wuhan positions her strongly to qualify for the season finale in Riyadh. The 31-year-old American started the week No. 5 in the Race to the WTA Finals, just behind already-qualified Madison Keys.
Meanwhile, other contenders in Wuhan, including Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini, have the chance to shake up the standings with strong performances. Pegula’s round of 16 opponent will be Ekaterina Alexandrova, the ninth seed, who advanced past Ann Li 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Among the top players, third seed Coco Gauff cruised through her opening match, defeating Moyuka Uchijima 6-1, 6-0, firing five aces and committing zero double faults.
Pegula’s ability to hold her nerve under pressure underscores her experience and determination, signaling that she is ready to make a late-season charge toward the WTA Finals.