Iga Swiatek didn't get much to run with against Jessica Pegula in the US Open quarterfinals.
The 30-year-old American's flat groundstrokes opened the court spectacularly and had the world No.1 Pole on the run for most part of their tenth career meeting. The 23-year-old Swiatek didn't recover from the 0-4 start to the match with serve and nerve deserting her.
Pegula, the world No.6, came through 6-2, 6-4 to make her first major semifinals, after going 0-6 in Grand Slam quarterfinals. Pegula, the form player, who won the title in the Canadian Open and finished runner-up in Cincinnati, plays gifted Czech Karolina Muchova for a place in the final, while another American Emma Navarro takes on the second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the other last-four clash.
Swiatek, whose serve had been the talking point earlier in the season, had not faced a breakpoint in her last three matches, but could not find her first serve in the set. She served at just 36 percent in the opening set while coming up with 41 unforced errors in the match.
"I was telling myself that I can still play well from the baseline. And I've had many tournaments where I didn't serve well and I managed to win anyway," the 2022 champion said. "I couldn't push with my serve. Also, I wasn't that solid from the baseline. You're not going to win if you make so many mistakes."
QF RESULTS
Men: 1-Jannik Sinner (ITA) bt 5-Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4; 25-Jack Draper (GBR) bt 10-Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2
Women: 6-Jessica Pegula (USA) bt 1-Iga Swiatek (POL) 6-2, 6-4
