ROME, ITALY – MAY 10: Jessica Pegula of the United States in action against Elise Mertens of Belgium … More
American top seed Jessica Pegula crashed out of the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France on Wednesday after losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Anna Kalinskaya in the Round of 16 clash.
Playing amid strong winds, Pegula, the World No. 3, started strong on Patrice Dominguez Court by taking the set first.
In the second set, the American held a 3-1 lead but later found herself 5-4 down. Failing to hold serve, she allowed Kalinskaya back into the contest as the Russian won the second set, as drizzle began to fall.
In the decider, Pegula went 3-0 down and couldn’t fight her way back into the match, as Kalinskaya continued to press and closed out the win before heavy rain began.
Wednesday’s victory, which was completed in an hour and 59 minutes, was Kalinskaya’s first over Pegula in their four meetings. The Russian is also now 4-0 against the Top 3 players in her career.
In her first two meetings with Top 3 players, Kalinskaya defeated then No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 1 Iga Swiatek en route to the 2024 Dubai final. Later that year, she advanced past No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka via retirement during the grass-court Berlin Open.
In the quarterfinals at Strasbourg, Kalinskaya will face another American, 31-year-old Danielle Collins, who registered a comeback victory over Britain’s Emma Raducanu in her last match.
Collins and Kalinskaya have met twice previously, with the former winning both times – in 2023 on hard court at the Australian Open and in Austin.
Apart from Collins, second seed Emma Navarro is the other American remaining in the tournament. She will be facing Brazilian ninth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarterfinals.
The Strasbourg Open will be held until May 24, serving as a tune-up event for the clay-court Grand Slam, the French Open, which will be played in Paris from May 25 to June 8.
The main draw for the French Open will take place later on Thursday.
