Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini Reach US Open Round of 16

American tennis player Jessica Pegula, the No. 6 seed, advanced to the second week of the US Open after dominating her match against Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Pegula won the contest in straight sets, with a score of 6-3, 6-3, marking a successful first meeting between the two.

Bouzas Maneiro made waves at Wimbledon earlier this year by knocking out the defending champion Marketa Vondrousova in the first round. However, during her match against Pegula, she struggled significantly, committing 29 unforced errors and only achieving five winners.

Pegula reflected on her performance, stating, “I thought I just played solid. I didn’t do anything crazy … bad or amazing.” Her consistency has paid off, as she has won 25 matches at hard-court Grand Slam tournaments since the beginning of 2021, ranking just behind Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek in this regard.

Next, Pegula will take on No. 18 seed Diana Shnaider, who secured her place in the fourth round with a straight-sets victory over Italy’s Sara Errani.

In another exciting match earlier on Saturday, Jasmine Paolini defeated No. 30 seed Yulia Putintseva with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This victory allowed Paolini to progress to the round of 16, making her the first Italian woman to reach this stage at the US Open since Roberta Vinci in 2016.

At 28 years old, Paolini is now alongside Coco Gauff as the only women who have reached at least the fourth round of every Grand Slam tournament in 2024. Notably, Paolini had struggled in her previous 16 Grand Slam appearances, never getting past the second round. However, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year and was the runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Since the Open era began in 1968, only two other women have achieved the feat of making their first four major round of 16 appearances within the same year: Christina Sandberg in 1970 and Eugenie Bouchard in 2014.

This season, Paolini leads all women with 18 match wins at Grand Slams, showcasing her immense talent. During her match against Putintseva at Louis Armstrong Stadium, she made an impressive 22 winners, 13 of which came from her forehand.

Paolini is now set to face 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova for a spot in the quarterfinals at the US Open. Muchova is making her return to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since undergoing surgery on her right wrist. She reached this stage by beating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 6-2.

Muchova had previously reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2023, losing to Gauff in that match. Following a lengthy absence from the tour due to her wrist surgery in October last year, she resumed competition in June.

“I’m trying every day to put some work in and get back to where I was — maybe even better,” Muchova remarked about her comeback. She successfully defeated former No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the prior round and has won all three of her matches in straight sets so far this week.

“To save some energy is always nice. … Couldn’t be better so far,” Muchova stated, expressing satisfaction with her performance. She has reached a career-high ranking of No. 8 in the past and currently sits at the 52nd position. Reflecting on last year, she mentioned, “Last year was amazing. I’m trying to follow up.”

Muchova’s match against the 38th-ranked Potapova showcased her versatile playing style, similar to her prior performance against Osaka. In that match, she delivered eight aces, recorded 24 winners, and maintained only 11 unforced errors. Remarkably, she saved both break points she faced during the contest.