Pegula hangs on to dispatch Anisimova, reach Cincinnati semi-finals

In a thrilling match, Jessica Pegula edged out Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) to advance to the semi-finals of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters. The 32-year-old Pegula, currently ranked third in the world, continued her impressive streak by defeating her fellow American 10th-ranked Anisimova. Anisimova, who converted all five of her break points throughout the match, was unable to break Pegula's resilience.

Pegula, who has now reached five or more Masters 1000 quarter-finals after turning 30, is the fourth player since 2009 to achieve this milestone, joining Li Na, Serena Williams, and Svetlana Kuznetsova. At the tournament, US women players dominated the quarter-finals, with half of the eight players being Americans. Pegula dominated the first set, wrapping it up in just 34 minutes, but Anisimova made a remarkable comeback in the second set, breaking Pegula's serve four times and taking control of the match.

However, Pegula's determination prevailed, as she broke back in the third set and secured the match with a crucial point in the tiebreaker. Pegula will now face the winner of Iga Swiatek's quarter-final clash against Elena Rybakina, a rematch of last week's Toronto final where Swiatek claimed her first title of 2026.