BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Jessica Pegula was eliminated in the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a 6-1, 6-3 loss against Madison Keys on Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.
Pegula, the highest-seeded American at No. 3, was trying to reach the quarterfinals for the sixth time in her eight Grand Slam tournaments over the past two seasons.
In doubles play, Pegula and partner Coco Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 win Monday against Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostyuk. Meantime, Pegula and partner Austin Krajicek are the top seed in mixed doubles, scheduled to play in the quarterfinals Tuesday.
The Buffalo native whose parents Terry and Kim Pegula own the Bills and Sabres came into the U.S. Open after winning her third WTA title last month in Montreal, which included a win against world No. 1 and reigning U.S. Open champion Iga Swiatek.
Pegula eased through her first two victories at the U.S. Open, losing only eight games in four sets, before needing three sets to beat Elina Svitolina in the third round. She reached the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Open before losing against Swiatek.
Keys, the No. 17 seed and 2017 runner-up at Flushing Meadows, converted on 77% of her first-serve points and used powerful ground strokes to keep rallies short — a little over three strokes on average — to make quick work of her close friend.
Keys said it was tough playing a friend but “at the end of the day we both want to win. We’re all business on the court.”
Other fourth-round action on a sunny, warm Labor Day at Flushing Meadows includes top-ranked defending champion Carlos Alcaraz taking on 61st-ranked Italian Matteo Arnaldi, and Aryna Sabalenka, who will become the new No. 1 in the WTA rankings after the loss of top-seeded Swiatek, against 13th-seeded Daria Kasatkina. Also on the schedule, third-seeded Daniil Medvedev faces No. 13 Alex de Minaur.
Keys’ quarterfinals opponent will be ninth-seeded Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who came back to beat unseeded American Peyton Stearns 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2 to keep her dream alive of a second straight Grand Slam title after winning Wimbledon in July.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
