Jessica Pegula, the No. 4 seed, secured her place in the Miami Open semifinals by defeating Emma Raducanu in a compelling match that concluded Wednesday night at Hard Rock Stadium. The final score was 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2.
This victory marks Pegula`s third semifinal appearance in Miami in the last four years. She has now defeated the 2021 US Open champion for the second time in their three encounters, avenging her loss to Raducanu at Eastbourne last summer, where Raducanu achieved her first Top 10 win against Pegula.
With her 19th win of the season, Pegula is now aiming for her sixth WTA 1000 final, and her first in Miami. Her next challenge will be against Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old wild card from the Philippines. Eala, a Cinderella story in this tournament, caused a major upset by defeating World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the other quarterfinal.
Pegula had an opportunity to finish the match in two sets but faced a strong comeback from Raducanu in the second. Raducanu saved four set points and rallied from a 5-2 deficit to force a tiebreak. Despite receiving medical attention during the humid Miami evening, Raducanu continued to compete fiercely. However, an early break by Pegula in the third set proved decisive, giving her a lead she maintained throughout the set.
Raducanu had a chance to break back in the third game of the final set, but Pegula successfully defended it. Pegula then dominated the end of the match, winning the last eight points to seal her victory.
Reflecting on the match, Pegula acknowledged the high level of play from both competitors: “It was tough. I played a good first set, then had a bit of a dip in the second, recovered, and went up 2-0 in the tiebreak, but then momentum shifted,” Pegula said. “She began to move the ball exceptionally well and serve effectively… sometimes that`s just how it goes. My focus was to start the third set with intensity and quickly establish a lead to avoid a close decider.”
Pegula also expressed her fondness for playing in Miami: “I love competing here, especially playing at home in the Dolphins stadium… I consistently perform well here… and I`m hoping that the third time`s the charm. I`m determined to reach the final and will give it my all tomorrow night.”
High quality from both players: Their match lasted over 2 hours and 25 minutes, with both Pegula and Raducanu demonstrating impressive tennis. Pegula recorded six aces and 48 winners, with 27 unforced errors. Raducanu countered with 30 winners, 18 unforced errors, and three aces. A key difference was break point conversion: Pegula converted four out of nine opportunities, while saving five of six break points against her.
Will Pegula break the semifinal barrier? Pegula has yet to win a set in her two previous Miami Open semifinals. In 2022, she lost to Swiatek in straight sets as the No. 16 seed. In 2023, as the No. 3 seed, she was upset in two tight sets by Elena Rybakina, then seeded No. 10.
While Pegula is favored against World No. 140 Eala, she is aware of the young player`s potential, especially after Eala`s upsets of three Grand Slam champions en route to her first WTA semifinal.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth