Miami Gardens: Forget three-setters. These days, Jessica Pegula doesn't even need second sets.
The No. 16 seed has made the semifinals at the Miami Open, benefiting from a second consecutive abrupt ending. She won her quarterfinal against fifth-seeded Paula Badosa on Wednesday, after the Spaniard retired five games into the first set.
Pegula has played four matches so far in this tournament, needing only 5 1/2 sets to record those victories. She had a first-round bye, won her next two matches in straight sets and her fourth-round match ended when unseeded Anhelina Kalinina retired after Pegula won the first set 6-0.
Then came Wednesday, when Badosa bowed out down 4-1.
"Of course, it's not nice to win that way," Pegula said. "It's the first time I've ever even hit with her at all and I was really looking forward to playing because she's been having an amazing year."
Badosa who was No. 71 in the world rankings at this time last year will climb to a career-best No. 3 when the computer numbers are updated Monday. She would have gone to No. 2 had she beaten Pegula.
Badosa said she woke up Monday not feeling well and wasn't even sure she could play that day in a fourth-rounder against Linda Fruhvirtova. Badosa battled through, winning that match 6-2, 6-3, but was clearly not herself on Wednesday. "She's an incredible competitor," Pegula said.
Pegula will next face No. 2 Iga Swiatek who becomes No. 1 in the world rankings next week in Thursday night's
semifinals.