Jessica Pegula cruises into DC Open quarters

WASHINGTON: Jessica Pegula has a couple of goals this week at the DC Open, trying to earn a third career singles title and building her game leading up to the final Grand Slam of the year.

The fourth-ranked player in the world and tournament’s top seed shook off a slow start, beating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open.

Pegula wrapped it up just before the rain started, happy to fight through some windy conditions and get past a tough opponent.

Pegula won in Washington in 2019 and would love three more victories and another championship before leaving town.

The big upset of the day came just before Pegula and Stearns stepped onto the stadium court. Sixth-ranked Caroline Garcia, the tournament’s second seed, got knocked out in the round of 16 by Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3.

Fans waved Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag in the stands after Kostyuk broke Garcia to win the match. She joined Svitolina as women’s players from the war-torn country to reach the quarterfinals in Washington, with Kostyuk set to play Liudmila Samsonova from Russia on Friday for a spot in the semis.

On the men’s side of the draw, fifth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 6-3, and J.J. Wolf beat Michael Mmoh 6-4, 7-6 (5). Agencies

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