Swiatek can’t control anger, smashes racket in net during US Open defeat

Ahead of her US Open quarter-final clash against Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula was 0-6 in Grand Slam quarters against the Polish tennis star. but the American tennis ace used her grit and experience to pull off a huge upset, defeating Swiatek in straight sets, 6-2 6-4 at the Flushing Meadows.
Swiatek’s service was woeful in the first set and her forehand was disastrous, with 22 of her 41 unforced errors coming from that side. Meanwhile, Pegula conceded only 22 unforced errors. The American also kept on breaking Swiatek’s serve.
Pegula was emotionless throughout the match, calm and composed. Swiatek, on the other hand, smashed her racket against the top of the net in anger. She also slapped her right thigh after a forehand went wide, to get broken again and trail 4-3 in the second set.
Speaking after the match, Pegula said, “There have been so many freaking times, and I just kept losing. I know everyone keeps asking me about it, but I was like, I don’t know what else to do. I just need to get there again and, like, win the match.’ So thank God I was able to do it. And finally — finally! — I can say, Semifinalist.”
Meanwhile, Swiatek said, “It’s never easy to play against Jess. She has a tricky ball because it’s pretty low and pretty flat. I just made too many mistakes.”
“I didn’t really understand why my serve wasn’t working. I feel like when I have high expectations, I never perform well. (But) it’s hard to have low expectations when everybody is expecting something from you,” she added.
Pegula will face unseeded Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals. Muchova finished as runners-up to Swiatek in the 2023 French Open and reached the semi-finals of the US Open for a second consecutive year. The win against Swiatek will be a huge boost to Pegula’s confidence and she will look to clinch the title in front of the home crowd.