Jessica Pegula battles back to beat Claire Liu and reach semi-finals at Seoul Open, Grigor Dimitrov through in Shanghai

ByEurosport

Updated 13/10/2023 at 15:53 GMT

Jessica Pegula remains on track to win her fourth title of the season as she battled her way into the semi-finals of the WTA event in Seoul. Pegula had to come from a set down against fellow American Claire Liu but produced some of her best tennis in the final set of the match as she secured the victory with a bagel. Pegula will face Yanina Wickmayer or Polina Kudermetova in the last four.

Top seed Jessica Pegula battled back from a set down to beat Claire Liu in the battle of the Americans in Seoul, sealing the win with a bagel in a 4-6 6-3 6-0 win.

Liu, currently ranked No. 98 in the world, started well and broke her higher-ranked compatriot in just the second game of the match.

Whilst Pegula fought hard she couldn’t stop the final four games of the set all being breaks as Liu sealed it 6-4.

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But Pegula stepped up a gear from that point, breaking Liu in the first game of the second set and finding another break in the last to force a decider.

And from that point it was far less of a contest, as Pegula showed all her class to seal the victory with a bagel.

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It’s Pegula’s eighth semi-final of 2023 and she’s bidding to win her fourth title of the year and end the calendar on a high.

Pegula will face the winner of the clash between Yanina Wickmayer and Polina Kudermetova.

Earlier in the day in the first quarter-final there was another American triumph as the unseeded Emina Bektas also came from a set down to beat Australia's Kimberly Birrell 4-6 6-3 6-2.

Meanwhile at the Hong Kong Open, there were straight-sets victories for Anna Blinkova and Martina Trevisan as they beat Sara Sorribes Tormo and Elise Mertens respectively.

In the men's tournament in Shanghai, Grigor Dimitrov continued his fine form by beating Nicolas Jarry in straight sets 7-6(2) 6-4 to progress to the last four.

Dimitrov sensationally upset Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, and - with just two matches to go - will be eyeing just his second-ever Masters 1000 title, his first coming in 2017 in Cincinnati.

Highlights: Dimitrov beats Alcaraz to reach quarter-finals in Shanghai

The Bulgarian will face Andrey Rublev after the world No. 7 overcame Ugo Humbert 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 31 minutes.

"The match in Beijing, both of us played great tennis and I had chances. I was serving for the match. He was playing really well that match and I tried to analyse what I did wrong that match," said Rublev.

"I tried to not make the same mistakes today and I did really well. I am happy to win in straight sets. I played a great match and I am happy to win today."

On his next opponent, Rublev commented: "It is going to be a tough match. He is a friend and I like him and he is a really great player. It is really tough to beat him when he is in this form. This week he is playing really well."

In the other side of the draw, Sebastian Korda takes on Hubert Hurkacz in the last four.

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