Elina Svitolina has had another good run in Washington but her run was halted by native player Jessica Pegula.
The American had a good start in Washington setting up the clash against Svitolina in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Citi Open. It was shaping up to be a really good one and it delivered upon that promise by going the distance.
The American winning on American soil was the preferred outcome for many fans in attendance, and Pegula made sure to give them what they wanted. The prospect of her winning looked a bit shaky for a good amount as Svitolina jumped out to an early 4-2 lead in the opening set which she finished 6-4.
The Ukranian was only slightly better than Pegula, but that was all she needed. No break points for the American while Svitolina used her only one to seal the deal.
The second set saw Pegula respond in pretty strong fashion taking an early 3-0 lead and then cruising after that. It was a similar set to the first one but the protagonists were switched. Pegula didn't face break points and used the one she got to win the set.
The final set once again opened strongly for the American, who took an early break after which we saw a great battle between the players. Svitolina had a chance to come back into the match, creating a few break points at 3-2, but Pegula hung on to remain in the lead.
She had her first match points at 5-3 when but didn't use any of it, leaving Svitolina with a chance to attempt one final comeback. She gave it a fair shot creating a break chance but didn't use it, allowing Pegula to finish off the match.
The final score was 4-6 6-3 6-4 as she moves on to face either Maria Sakkari or Madison Keys.