In an All-American semifinal clash, 22nd seed Jennifer Brady reached her second consecutive Grand Slam semi-final with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Jessica Pegula.
After losing a tight first set, Brady knew that she had to make changes in order to grab the win. “In the beginning of the match I felt the pressure from her, she’s such an aggressive player,” the World No. 24 said after the game.
“I was telling myself I needed to change something, maybe play with a bit more spin.”
Brady stayed calm and stuck to her game plan during the second and third set. She put an emphasis on spin, forehands and serving. Deep forehands and strong kick serves ultimately provided the spark she needed and propelled her to victory.
“I think I played a really good third set,” Brady told Alicia Molik.
Ultimately, the 25-year-old finished with 7 aces and won an impressive 82% on her first serve. The American also capitalised on 7/10 break points.
Brady wrote on the camera after the match “Go Bruins,” a cheeky dig at Pegula as her family owns NFL team the Buffalo Bills.
The 25-year-old will now face Karolina Muchova for a spot in the final. It would be either competitors first Grand Slam final.
“Hopefully I have a new habit of making finals,” Brady laughed as she finished her on-court interview.