Jessica Pegula's Wimbledon preparations solidify with hard-fought win over Emma Navarro

Jessica Pegula emerged victorious from an all-American battle to reach the semifinals of the Bad Homburg Open, after defeating World No. 10 Emma Navarro by 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The World No. 3 once again demonstrated her consistency, reaching another WTA 500 semifinal. She will now seek her spot in the final against the winner of the match between Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova.

The American secured her second consecutive win on grass courts – following a surprising defeat in Berlin – and is showing great form heading into Wimbledon, where she will be the 3rd seed. This was the second time she faced Navarro, and once again, Pegula was the winner.

First Set

The first set began as a rollercoaster, with break points for both players as neither found much efficiency with their first serve. Although both had over 75% first serves in, there were significant differences in effectiveness, with Pegula winning 67% of hers against a mere 45% for Navarro.

The first break went to Pegula in the third game, and she pulled ahead with strong serving, consistently exposing her opponent to break points. The 2024 US Open finalist secured a second break to lead 5-2 and had serve to close out the set. Although Navarro reacted by breaking back, it wasn't enough for a full comeback, and Pegula claimed the set 6-4.

Second Set

While the first set had slight differences, Navarro truly shifted gears in the second, launching a strong comeback. Although she faced early complications on her serve, she managed to navigate through tough moments, including several break points against her.

After a 1-1 start, Navarro took control of the match, saving some break points and converting 2/4 opportunities her opponent conceded. In a very quick passage of play, Navarro took five consecutive games and claimed the set 6-1 in just 32 minutes.

Third Set

Everything came down to a decisive third set. Navarro maintained her concentration on serve, while Pegula struggled, forced to engage in more long rallies. From the backhand, Pegula managed to impose herself multiple times with several winners, which was key to securing the break in the fourth game.

After taking a 4-1 lead, Pegula held firm on her serve, and was even closer to securing another break than Navarro was. Without major issues, Pegula maintained her momentum and sealed the victory 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, demonstrating her class in moments of pressure.

Her next opponent will be the winner between Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova, who face each other in the night session. Pegula will be looking to reach a grass-court final for the second time in her career, having won the title at the Berlin Open in 2024, defeating Anna Kalinskaya in an epic third-set tie-break.

Match Statistics Pegula vs. Navarro