Melbourne: Jessica Pegula finally broke her Melbourne ceiling on Wednesday, defeating fellow American Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6(1) at Rod Laver Arena to secure a first-ever Australian Open semifinal berth.
The World No. 6 delivered an authoritative performance in the all-American quarterfinal, prevailing in an hour and 35 minutes to continue her strong run against compatriots at the Grand Slam level. The victory sends Pegula into the last four of a major for the third time in her career and for the first time outside the US Open, where she will next face Elena Rybakina.
She also became the first American woman in more than three decades to defeat three compatriots at a single Australian Open, following wins over McCartney Kessler and defending champion Madison Keys earlier in the tournament.
“It’s awesome. I’ve been able to go deeper at the US Open the last couple years, but here was the first Slam that I really broke through at. And I was a three, and then this year, four-time quarterfinalist. I was like, ‘It’s got to be coming, you know.
"The next round, I’ve got to get to the semi.’ Because I feel like I play some really good tennis here and I like the conditions. And I’ve always felt like, even matches I’ve lost here, that I’ve played well. So I’ve been waiting for the time where I could kind of break through,” Pegula said in her on-court interview.
Pegula, who had previously fallen short in four Australian Open quarterfinal appearances, wasted little time asserting control. She dictated play early with depth and accuracy off both wings, breaking Anisimova twice to take the opening set.
Although the scoreline suggested comfort, the final game of the set told a different story: Pegula was forced to fend off two break points before closing it out with a well-placed ace after an extended exchange.
The second set proved far more turbulent. Anisimova raised her level, leaning into her aggressive baseline game and refusing to let Pegula pull away. The No. 4 seed showed resilience, staying level and saving match points to force the set into a tiebreak. But once there, Pegula was untouchable.
The Buffalo native dominated the breaker from the outset, stringing together seven straight points behind fearless serving and penetrating returns. Anisimova, under mounting pressure, leaked errors as Pegula’s pace and precision proved decisive.
The win extended Pegula’s unbeaten record against Anisimova to 4–0 on the WTA Tour and marked her eighth consecutive Grand Slam victory over an American opponent.