Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina secured spots in the Miami Open quarterfinals after dominating their opponents in straight sets at Hard Rock Stadium. Pegula, the fifth seed, outplayed Jaqueline Cristian without facing a break point, winning 6-4, 6-1 in just over an hour by capitalizing on her break chances.
Pegula’s victory not only extended her winning record against Cristian to 2-0 but also marked her fifth consecutive appearance in the Miami quarterfinals. She is now the first player since Agnieszka Radwanska (2010–2014) and the third American woman, alongside Chris Evert and Serena Williams, to achieve this feat.
In another match, third seed Rybakina displayed a similar level of dominance against Australian qualifier Talia Gibson, winning 6-2, 6-2 in just over an hour. Rybakina’s strong serve and aggressive play have been key to her success in reaching the last eight.
Rybakina now holds a 5-3 advantage over Pegula in their WTA Tour encounters, having won their last four meetings in the past seven months. She emphasized the importance of serving well and staying fresh for her upcoming quarterfinal match, acknowledging the faster pace of play in Miami compared to Indian Wells.
