Buffalo native Jessica Pegula extends NYC stay, advances to U.S. Open quarterfinal
Jessica Pegula pumps her fist after defeating Petra Kvitova during the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Monday. Credit: AP/Julia Nikhinson
Jessica Pegula is from the Buffalo area, so visits to New York City are not quite the exotic outings they might be for some international players at the U.S. Open.
But Pegula tries to take it all in, even when she is busy playing tennis.
“Just going to dinner, going to see a show,” she said on Monday. “We went to a Mets game. We went to a Yankees game. [I] just try not to sit in my room and order Uber Eats.”
Pegula, the No. 8 seed and world’s top-ranked American, spoke after extending her New York stay longer than she ever has as an active participant in the tournament.
Her businesslike 6-3, 6-2 dismissal of No. 21 seed Petra Kvitova secured her first berth in a U.S. Open quarterfinal.
She will face No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek, who survived a very shaky start to get past unseeded Jule Niemeier, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Pegula, 28, kept her poise through two early rain delays that forced a closing of the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium and got on a late roll, winning the final six games to close out the match.
This will be her third quarterfinal in a major tournament in 2022 as she continues a steady rise up the rankings.
Pegula is known to many in the broader sports world as the daughter of Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula.
Now she is in the national spotlight as her favorite football team prepares to open the NFL season on Thursday night against the Rams.
Asked on the court if she is concerned about having to play at the same time as the Bills, she said: “Hopefully I’m not, but if I’m still here and I’m playing, it’s fine. I don’t mind missing the game.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
