Australian Open: Jessica Pegula – Will tennis happiness come after football frustration?
Jessica Pegula challenges tournament favorite Ashleigh Barty at the Australian Open on Tuesday (live from 09:00 a.m. on Eurosport and in Austria on ServusTV). The American had to deal with a disappointment on Sunday.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jan 24, 2022, 03:18 pm
It's safe to assume that Jessica Pegula spent her Monday morning in Melbourne in front of a TV, or at least a streaming device. Because the Buffalo Bills had started again to finally win the US football championship, the Super Bowl. The Bills fail regularly, Pegula is still too young to remember the legendary series of bankruptcies between 1991 and 1994, when the Bills failed four times in a row in the final.
But the 36:42 against the Kansas City Chiefs in this year's quarterfinals of the NFL playoffs will also have an impact on Jessica Pegula. Because she has a very special relationship with the team from the US state of New York: Pegula's father Terrence owns the franchise (as well as the Buffalo Sabers, who play in the NHL).
According to the latest estimates by Forbes Magazine, "Terry" Pegula's net worth is around 6.7 billion US dollars. Jessica didn't lack the necessary financial background when looking for accurate tennis coaches. The upcoming task could probably not be simulated in any training: In the quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2022 it is against Ashleigh Barty.
Barty beats Pegula in Paris 2019
The local hero comes into the encounter (on Tuesday from 09:00 live on Eurosport and in Austria on ServusTV) with Pegula without losing a set, but Barty wobbled slightly against Amanda Anisimova. In the end, the Osaka conqueror failed not only because of Barty's playful class, but also because of the many mistakes that Anisimova made unnecessarily.
Barty and Pegula have met once so far, in 2019 in Roland Garros the Australian kept the upper hand in two sets. And a few days later, she won her first Grand Slam title at the Bois de Boulogne. The second should follow at Wimbledon last year, Barty knows how to tackle the late stages of a major.
Pegula, on the other hand, feels right at home in Melbourne. In 2021 she reached the quarterfinals, where she lost to compatriot Jennifer Brady (who then in turn eliminated Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals). This year, too, the Americans made a big showing at the first Grand Slam tournament of the season: in addition to Pegula, Madison Keys and Danielle Collins also made it to the last eight.
Here is the women's individual tableau
laver arena