US Open: Dominant Jessica Pegula makes light work of Ann Li, books quarters berth

Jessica Pegula stormed into the US Open 2025 women’s singles quarterfinals with a commanding win over compatriot Ann Li in the Round of 16. On Sunday, August 31, the fourth seed needed just 54 minutes to seal a 6-1, 6-2 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Pegula, last year’s runner-up at Flushing Meadows, advanced to her eighth Grand Slam quarterfinal overall and her first in 2025, bouncing back strongly after a first-round exit at Wimbledon.

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Her form leading into the US Open was far from ideal, with early exits in Washington, Montreal, and Cincinnati. But in New York, she has rediscovered her rhythm, yet to drop a set in the tournament. Against Li, Pegula was relentless from the start, breaking serve four times in the opening set. Though Li managed one break, it barely dented Pegula’s momentum.

The second set followed a similar script, with Pegula securing two more breaks to close out the match in under an hour. She struck 12 winners, while Li’s 19 unforced errors proved costly in the lopsided contest. Pegula also impressed by winning 81 per cent of her first-serve points.

"I felt really comfortable moving today. I felt like today I started off really well and I just wanted to keep executing that,” Pegula said in the on-court interview after the match.

Jessica Pegula storms along

She opened her campaign in New York with a dominant 6-0, 6-4 victory over Mayar Sherif, followed by 6-1, 6-3 versus Anna Blinkova, and edged Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 7-5 in the third round before taking down Li on Sunday.

Across four matches, the 31-year-old Pegula dropped just 17 games—her lowest tally to reach this stage at any major.

Pegula will next face the winner of the clash between doubles World No.1 Taylor Townsend and two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova.