Jessica Pegula cruises past No. 53 Diana Parry in second-round win

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula advanced to the third round of the 2024 China Open after a 6-1, 7-6(4) win against No. 53-ranked Diana Parry of France. Fresh off final appearances in Cincinnati and the U.S. Open, the 30-year-old American will seek to build upon her strong year.

Pegula was in control of Friday’s match from the beginning. She managed a service break in the second game, quickly gaining a 2-0 lead. After conceding a game right after, she did not yield the rest of the way. Nearly every point that Pegula conceded throughout the first set was through an unforced error. She had little trouble with Parry’s service game, winning just about every point in which she returned the serve. In characteristic fashion, Pegula placed some booming forehands with precision and left her 22-year-old French opponent with little chance to rally. Pegula took the first set 6-1.

The second set became more of a battle. Parry began to find her rhythm but, more importantly, Pegula made mistakes. Parry failed to capitalize on her opponent's two double faults in the first game but gained an important service break in the third game. This was a much needed moment shift in her direction. Unfortunately for Parry, she was never able to pull ahead for long. The two players traded games back and forth before reaching a tie-break, where Parry once again could not pull ahead of Pegula, despite mistakes giving her a chance to. The young Parry was visibly exhausted and possibly demoralized, as she chose not to run for key balls in the final games of the second set.

Friday’s match was the first meeting between the two players. Pegula has had an exceptional year, achieving her best Grand Slam tournament result with her appearance in the U.S. Open final, as well as matching her career-high WTA Ranking in singles at World No. 3. Pegula’s second-round win on the Diamond Court marks just her second win in Beijing. She will look to reach the fourth round for the first time.

—Reporting by Egan Ward