Jessica Pegula sees off Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets to reach Australian Open quarter-finals

Jessica Pegula made it through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open with a straight-sets 7-5 6-2 win over Barbora Krejcikova.

Pegula, the No. 3 seed, was impressive throughout, and after coming through a tight first set, streaked clear in the second with some aggressive tennis that underlined her pre-tournament status as one of the favourites for the title.

Pegula will take on the winner of Victoria Azarenka and Lin Zhu in the last eight.

Speaking afterwards about how she appeared to stay so calm during the tie, Pegula said: “I’m pretty relaxed.

“During that really long game [at 5-5 in the first set] when I had a million chances and it went back and forth, my relaxing started to go away, I got a little frustrated with some choice words towards my box as to how many break points I had the first set.

“I was able to get it out, and then really focus and fight there.

“I’m pretty relaxed in general, that’s just my personality and that’s how I play best.”

The first set had appeared to take a decisive swing at 3-3, when Pegula broke Krejcikova to love to take a 5-3 lead.

But when the American stepped up to serve it out at 5-4, she couldn’t do so with Krejcikova earning a break back at the critical juncture.

The momentum swings kept coming though as after the marathon game at 5-5 that saw seven deuces, Pegula broke again and this time she did serve it out – landing an incredible outside-of-the-line forehand winner on set point – to take it 7-5.

Krejcikova looked disconsolate walking to the sit-down, and when she was broken again in the first game of the second set, the writing looked on the wall for the Czech.

But to her credit, she fought back immediately and got on terms with a break back.

The breaks, however, kept coming and this time it was Pegula’s turn, moving 2-1 ahead.

And from there it was one-way traffic as the 28-year-old sealed a double break and the chance to serve it out at 5-2 up.

She didn’t falter, seeing Krejcikova go long to seal the encounter, and celebrated her third consecutive Australian Open quarter-final with a jig.

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