“She played some amazing tennis,” Jessica Pegula heaps praises upon Veronika Kudermetova following her shocking loss in Tokyo final

Kudermetova registered her second win over the American this year.

“She played some amazing tennis,” Jessica Pegula heaps praises upon Veronika Kudermetova following her shocking loss in Tokyo final

Jessica Pegula and Veronika Kudermetova. (credits: DSGuruJi, Tennis.com)

Russian professional tennis player Veronika Kudermetova got past world no. 4 Jessica Pegula in straight sets to win her second WTA title, at the Pan-Pacific Open in Tokyo on Sunday. The world no.19 defeated the American no.2 7-5,6-1 pulling off her second Top 5 win of the week at the Tokyo Open. The 26-year-old Russian defeated the 4-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in a close 3-setter in the quarter-final. Her first title came at the WTA 500 Charleston Open in 2021.

This is her second win over the American this year, the first one came at the Madrid Open earlier this year. Seeded 8th for the tournament, Kudermetova raced through the second set to secure victory in 1 hour 24 minutes. The Russian was good on the return of serve, winning 4 out of the 5 break points earned.

YouTube video

“I’m really happy about my performance. It’s my second title and I’m proud of myself. I prepared myself for a tough match as Jessica is a great player and a great fighter,” Kudermetova said in the trophy presentation ceremony.

Praising her opponent, Pegula said, “I want to congratulate Veronika & her team. She played some amazing tennis this week & was just too good today.” Thanking the fans in attendance, she remarked, “Thank you to all the fans for coming out. The Japanese fans have been amazing. Hopefully I made some new fans. I can’t wait to come back.”

Pegula has won one title this year, the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal last month. Next up, Pegula is scheduled to play at the WTA 1000 China Open. The 4th seed faces another Russian, Anna Blinkova, in the second round. The world no.4 received a performance-bye in the first round.

Keep Exploring: Alexis Ohanian shares his ‘heartbreaking’ thoughts on NFL icon Barry Sanders’ upcoming Amazon documentary ‘Bye Bye Barry’

Jessica Pegula’s 2023 season so far

Pegula began her season on a bright note as she scored the biggest win of her career with a straight sets victory over Iga Swiatek, her first win over a current world No. 1 and first against the Pole since the 2019 Washington Open, at the United Cup. She went on to help the United States win the first-ever United Cup title. At the Australian Open, she reached the quarter-final stage for the third consecutive time, losing to the former champion Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.

jessica pegula
Jessica Pegula

At the Qatar Open, she reached her first WTA 500 singles final where she lost to top-ranked Iga Swiatek, in straight sets. In doubles, she and Coco Gauff defended their doubles title. She became the first American woman to reach back-to-back semifinals in Miami since Serena Williams in 2014 and 2015. In doubles at the same tournament, she won her fifth overall and third WTA 1000 team title with her partner, Coco Gauff. They became the first all-American duo to win the Miami Open doubles title in 22 years.

At the French Open, Pegula was upset by the 28th seed Elise Mertens in the third round. In Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals losing to the eventual champion Markéta Vondroušová. At the National Bank Open, she beat world No. 1, Swiatek, for the second time this year, in three sets, to enter her third WTA 1000 final in which she thrashed 15th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6–1, 6–0 to win her second WTA 1000 title and third WTA singles title.

The world no.4 lost in the 4th round of the US Open to her close friend Madison Keys. Pegula is close to qualifying for the year-end WTA Finals to be played in Cancun, Mexico. The 29-year-old would hope to seal her qualification at the upcoming China Open.

In case you missed it :

Do follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Follow FirstSportz on WhatsApp Channel