World number five Jessica Pegula battled back from a set down to overcome lucky loser Bernarda Pera 4-6 6-2 6-3 and reach the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International on Wednesday.
The second seed needed two hours and 12 minutes to prevail in the all-American clash ahead of her campaign at the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday.
Pegula looked ill at ease against Pera’s powerful left-handed game in the opening set and converted only one of her 10 break point chances.
But she found her feet in the second set to draw level and after nosing ahead by a break at 4-3 in the third she then saved five break points for a crucial hold.
Her sixth break in the next game vanquished Pera, setting up a quarter-final against either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Katerina Siniakova on Thursday.
“(Pera) was hitting unbelievable shots in the first set, I didn’t really think there was much more I could do,” Pegula said.
“I just tried to change a couple of things, and stay relaxed, not get frustrated that she was playing some great tennis. She’s always very tough.”
At the Hobart International, another tune-up event for the Melbourne Park Grand Slam, top seed Elise Mertens defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2 6-3 to make the quarter-finals.
Shelton ends losing run
Top seed Ben Shelton got his Australian Open preparations back on track Wednesday after a run of defeats with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan at the Auckland Classic.
The American world number 16 reached the quarter-final of the Australian Open, the last four at the US Open and secured a first ATP title in Tokyo in his first full season on tour in 2023.
But the 21-year-old ended his campaign with first-round exits in Vienna and Paris, before another first-up loss last week in Brisbane.
“It was definitely a tough match playing against Fabian,” said Shelton, who had received a first-round bye, after getting past the world number 65 in 71 minutes.
“I had a tough win against him last year at a Challenger tournament. So really cool to have a match-up first against him, he’s a great player. It was a fun match but happy to get through it.”
Shelton, who sent down 10 aces, faces a quarter-final on Thursday against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, who beat Austrian seventh seed Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-3, one of several seeds to tumble out on Wednesday.
Third-seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina was thrashed 6-1, 6-1 by France’s Alexandre Muller and eighth-seeded Australian Max Purcell lost 6-2, 6-4 to Japan’s Taro Daniel.
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada lost his first singles match of the year 7-6 (11/9), 7-5 to German Daniel Altmaier.
The former US Open semi-finalist was coming off just one mixed doubles appearance for Canada at the United Cup teams event in Sydney last week, where he did not play singles because of knee pain.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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