Daijiworld Media Network - London
London, Jul 5: Fourth seed Jessica Pegula staged a spirited comeback to defeat fellow American Iva Jovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Sunday and advance to the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time in her career.
With the victory, Pegula booked her second Grand Slam quarter-final appearance of the 2026 season and maintained her unbeaten record against the 17-year-old Jovic this year, having already defeated her at the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Charleston Open on hard and clay courts respectively.
Pegula will next face either seventh seed Coco Gauff or 11th seed Belinda Bencic for a place in the semi-finals.
The contest attracted added attention after Pegula had earlier described Jovic as her "mini-me" because of their similar styles of play. Ahead of the match, Jovic acknowledged the comparison and expressed hope that she could outplay her senior compatriot.
Jovic made the stronger start, capitalising on Pegula's error-filled performance in the opening set. The fourth seed struggled to find rhythm on serve, managing just five winners while committing 16 unforced errors. Jovic broke Pegula's serve four times to edge ahead despite being broken on three occasions herself.
Pegula responded impressively in the second set by significantly improving her first-serve percentage to above 80 per cent and reducing her unforced errors. Her improved consistency from the baseline helped her break Jovic's serve twice and level the contest.
The decisive third set turned firmly in Pegula's favour. She produced one of the match's defining moments by recovering from 0-40 on Jovic's opening service game, winning five consecutive points to secure an early break.
That breakthrough gave Pegula complete control as she raced to a 3-0 lead. Although Jovic briefly halted the momentum by holding serve to make it 3-1, Pegula closed out the match in commanding fashion by winning the final three games.
The victory made Pegula the first player to book a place in this year's Wimbledon women's singles quarter-finals.