Pegula, Opelka Advance to Western & Southern Open Quarterfinals; Former Miami Star Megan Bradley Now Top USTA Executive

Qualifier Jessica Pegula has been a roll during this week's Western & Southern Open, with five wins in the last six days. Although she has won a WTA title (Washington 2019), Pegula earned her best ranking win today, defeating No. 5 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of a WTA Premier event for the first time. 

Pegula played a very clean match throughout, moving well despite the heavy wrap on her left thigh, and staying in most points despite Sabalenka's pace. Pegula was her most impressive in the final game however, with three big confident serves leading to an easy hold in what is usually a tense situation.

Pegula will face No. 14 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Unseeded Reilly Opelka advanced to his first ATP Masters quarterfinal today, beating No. 6 seed Matteo Berrettini of Italy 6-3, 7-6(4), which was exactly the same score of his win over No. 9 seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina Monday. Opelka had 19 aces and didn't face a break point, and in his press conference after the match, said he liked the new, faster Laykold surface at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

"I think some years the US Open should be like this," Opelka said. "I think it's gone too similar, when every court is so slow. That's how tennis players evolve, actually, by having different surfaces and different conditions...guys start to serve better when courts are slower, because you kind of have to. Guys start to return better when courts are quick. I think it evolves the game. I think it's more exciting."

Although the faster courts may favor him in New York, Opelka said he is planning to play the European clay circuit this fall, although questions still remain on how those events will be structured.

"We're still unsure of what's going to happen," Opelka said. "I think we have to assess how this goes, but it's definitely going to be tougher to have a bubble in Europe than it is here. I know it's just a sensitive time. There's a few ways to go about it. You can say, look, we have a bunch of young healthy athletes, we can advise certain members of the team who are maybe elderly not to come, but stat-wise, what we know about the virus now, if you're young and you're healthy, you're not at risk. The whole point is that we don't harm anyone that is at risk. Do we say, guys, it's your decision, if you're comfortable playing, we're going have these events, we'll do testing everyday on site, if anyone tests positive that's it, you stay there and we're going to isolate you. Or do we do a bubble, or do we do nothing. Three options. I'm fine with all three options. If they have the tournaments, I'm going to play. And if they do a bubble, that's great. I'm all in favor of the tour coming back."

Opelka's quarterfinal opponent is No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, who defeated John Isner this evening 76(2), 76(4).

Christina McHale lost to Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-0 and Tennys Sandgren lost to top seed Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-4. The sixth US player in singles action Tuesday, Serena Williams, is playing tonight in a rain-delayed match. Complete results are here.  

Tuesday’s round of 16 results for US men:

Novak Djokovic[1](SRB) d. Tennys Sandgren[WC] 62, 64 

Reilly Opelka d. Matteo Berrettini[6](ITA) 63, 76(4)

Stefanos Tsitsipas[4](GRE) d. John Isner[16] 76(2), 76(4)

Tuesday’s round of 16 results for US women:

Jessica Pegula[Q] d. Aryna Sabalenka[5](BLR) 62, 26, 63

Ons Jabeur(TUN) d. Christina McHale[Q]  63, 60

Maria Sakkari[13](GRE) d. Serena Williams[3] 57, 76(5), 61 

Wednesday’s quarterfinal matches featuring Americans:

Reilly Opelka v Stefanos Tsitsipas[4](GRE)

Jessica Pegula[Q] v Elise Mertens[14](BEL)

Wednesday's schedule, which will feature all eight singles quarterfinals and all eight doubles quarterfinals is here.

The University of Miami came out with an interesting feature today about former All-American Megan Bradley Rose, who has gone from journalism, to college coaching, to the WTA, to her current position as USTA Senior Director of the Competitive Pathway. Rose, who has been with the USTA for the past three years, is now undertaking a new challenge at the USTA, as the point person for the USA Olympic team competing in Tokyo next summer. For more on her years at Miami, the path to her current position, her commitment to women's athletics and her USTA responsibilities, check out the article.