Jessica Pegula avoids upset in third-round win over Veronika Kudermetova

No. 2 seed and U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula defeated No. 32 seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-7(9), 6-1, 6-2 in Sunday’s third-round match at the China Open. Pegula’s win on the Diamond Court marks her first win against Kudermetova after two previous losses.

The pair began by trading games until Pegula gained a service break, giving the American a 2-1 lead. But her opponent quickly took control of the play. Pegula began letting the set slip away. She made an unforced error on every point in the fourth game, including a double fault to end it. The two players battled to deuce in the fifth game, where Kudermetova yet again finished on top. She calmly yet aggressively took the next two games as well, establishing a commanding 5-2 lead by forcing Pegula to run across the baseline at just about every point.

Pegula stormed back, taking four straight games and eventually capturing a 6-5 lead. Despite the clear momentum shift in Pegula’s favor, Kudermetova finished strong, sending the set into a tie-break. After an extended rally in the 12th point, Kudermetova tied it up at 6-6. They stayed on each other’s heels until Kudermetova won the tie-break 11-9. The marathon set lasted 73 minutes.

In a vastly different second set, Kudermetova was full of emotion, letting out loud screams after both losing and winning points. Regardless, her opponent remained in control. Pegula tightened her play, making fewer errors and hitting difficult shots she had struggled with in the first set. The two players engaged in several long rallies that began to take a toll. Right before the sixth game Kudermetova took a medical timeout while the trainer wrapped her left knee. Her competitive play did not falter, but she was no match for Pegula, who won the last five games on her way to a 6-1 set win.

The third set took a similar path. Pegula stayed in control but Kudermetova refused to make anything easy for her. The American gained a 3-1 lead after earning a service break in the second game. Her opponent took game five and almost gained a service break in game six. By then Pegula had worn down her opponent physically and mentally. She won the set 6-2, capping a 2-hour-39-minute match.

In her second consecutive Round of 16 appearance at the China Open, Pegula will face No. 15 seed Paula Badosa of Spain.

—Reporting by Egan Ward