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    Ekaterina Alexandrova upsets Jessica Pegula, reaches Miami semifinal

    Ekaterina Alexandrova
    The Hawk
    March28/ 2024

    Miami [US]: World number 14 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova continued her fabulous form at the Miami Open, entering the semifinal with a superb 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 upset of No.5 seed Jessica Pegula at the WTA 1000 event. Alexandrova will face American Danielle Collins in Friday's semifinal clash. "It was extremely difficult for me because [Pegula] played amazing. In the third set, there were sometimes the kind of rallies where I couldn't understand how it was possible to return that ball, but it always [came] back," Alexandrova said afterwards as quoted by WTA. "I just tried to play every single point [like] I knew she was going to be everywhere, so I need to do something, and I was trying to wait and use any opportunities that I got," she added. In the first set, Pegula was nearly faultless with her first delivery, winning 13 of 14 first-serve points (92 percent). Alexandrova's power game, on the other hand, sprang into high gear in the second set, when she won 15 to Pegula's 4. Also Read: https://www.thehawk.in/posts/bopanna-ebden-reach-miami-open-semifinals [https://www.thehawk.in/posts/bopanna-ebden-reach-miami-open-semifinals] Alexandrova double-faulted an early breakaway in the deciding third set, leaving the score at 3-3. The Russian, on the other hand, capitalised on another opportunity two games later, breaking Pegula 5-4 with powerful returns and forecourt finishes. Alexandrova then converted her second match point to complete the comeback triumph. Alexandrova's victory over a Top 10 player after losing the first set is the first of her career. Alexandrova defeated top five women in back-to-back matches for the first time in her career, after shocking World No.1 Iga Swiatek in the previous round. Alexandrova attributed her recen ...

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