“I was having a panic attack,” Jessica Pegula comments on the record-breaking tiebreaker between Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova at the Australian Open

The American commented on her feelings watching the exciting and historic tiebreaker ahead of her potential clash with Blinkova in San Diego.

“I was having a panic attack,” Jessica Pegula comments on the record-breaking tiebreaker between Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova at the Australian Open

Anna Blinkova, Elena Rybakina, and Jessica Pegula (Images via IMAGO)

World No. 5 Jessica Pegula returns to action after more than a month away from the sport. She last played at the 2024 Australian Open and was one of the seeds who crashed out early.

Seeded fifth, she lost to Clara Burel 6-4, 6-2 in the second round. Since then, the American skipped all Tour events making her comeback only at this week’s San Diego Open. She’s the top seed this week in the tournament and is playing both singles and doubles.

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With a first-round bye, Pegula started her campaign in the second round taking on Germany’s Jule Niemeier. She looked for an early wrap having dropped a bagel in the first set. She raced to 5-1 in the second set and looked to serve a bagel and breadstick for the German.

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But Niemeier fought valiantly in the second set. Pegula eventually won the match 6-0, 6-4 to storm into the quarter-finals. Speaking with the press about her delayed return and the Australian Open, Pegula specifically talked about the match between Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova.

The second-round epic clash saw the two women play out the longest tiebreak in a singles match in Grand Slam history. Having split the first two sets, it was to play for in the tiebreaker. Blinkova eventually won it 22-20 in a stunning upset against Rybakina who was the finalist at the 2023 Australian Open. 

I was like having a panic attack and I remember being so stressed watching the match. I didn’t know what was going on and the commentators just lost the plot and they were just like I don’t know what was happening. That was crazy, but it was so wholesome to see her win that.
Said Pegula on the Rybakina-Blinkova match. 
We all know that she can play at really high level when she is on so it’s nice to see her back playing well I mean both matches are gonna be really tough and I think umm there both big powerful players so you know they can always be really tough components on any given day
Added the American.

Jessica Pegula could face Anna Blinkova in the semis

The question was relevant to Pegula given her potential semi-final clash with the Russian. But for that, Blinkova will have to overcome fifth-seeded Dayana Yastremska.

Jessica Pegula
Jessica Pegula (Source: IMAGO)

The Ukrainian has seen a sudden drop in form since making the semis at Melbourne Park in January. She is 2-2 since then. As for Blinkova, she has also been 2-2 since her third-round exit at the AO. In a clash between the players of Ukraine and Russia, the tensions will certainly be running high.

But for Pegula, the winner will be just an obstacle in reaching the semi-finals at the WTA-500 event. With the 2024 Indian Wells Open scheduled for next week, the former World No. 3 will look to make the most of her time in San Diego and fight hard in the tennis paradise.

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