MIAMI – Ekaterina Alexandrova backed up her win over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 upset of fifth seed Jessica Pegula on March 27, to reach the Miami Open semi-finals for the first time.
The 29-year-old let out a triumphant roar when Pegula’s forehand landed in the net to end the two-hour contest in humid conditions in Florida.
“This one was incredible,” Alexandrova said. “It was so difficult to play this match to the end and win. It’s the biggest achievement for me on this court and the semi-final is a great bonus.”
After getting off to a slow start, she found her rhythm from the baseline in the second set and finished the match with 40 winners.
She said it was tough to break down Pegula’s gritty defence.
“I couldn’t understand how it was possible to return that ball, it was always back. She was everywhere, so I needed to do something,” Alexandrova said. “I tried to wait and use any opportunities that I got.”
The win was her third against a top-five player in 2024 and she said her success was the result of developing patience.
“You have to wait and wait and something is going to come – and then you have to use it,” she said.
The 14th seed from Russia will next face another American Danielle Collins, who kept her hopes of winning a title in her farewell season alive by beating French 23rd seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-2 earlier in the day.
“I think it’s going to be difficult,” Alexandrova said of facing Collins for the first time.
“There’s no easy match here and the further you go, the tougher the matches. I’m hoping it will be a good one.”
Collins, who announced in January that she would retire from professional tennis at the end of this season, won 90 per cent of her first-serve points against Garcia. She never faced a break point and converted three of her eight break-point chances.
She was asked whether a run of good results could make her rethink her decision. “I’m living with a chronic inflammatory disease that affects your ability to get pregnant,” said the 30-year-old Collins, who revealed in 2019 that she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
“That’s a deeply personal situation. I’ve explained that... this is my personal choice. This is so much more than just tennis and my career. I’m enjoying my career.”
The victory, sealed in a tidy 80 minutes, marked the first time Collins has won five consecutive matches on the WTA Tour since the 2022 Australian Open, where she reached her first Grand Slam final.
“She has had an incredible run and incredible couple of months,” Collins said of Alexandrova.
“It’s been great to see how her game has evolved over the years, and the way that she’s been playing has been really exciting.”
Garcia, meanwhile, said she had felt the pace of back-to-back tournaments, which prompted a recurrence of a previous shoulder injury. REUTERS, AFP
