Pegula power: Clinical display puts doubles partner Kessler aside in under an hour
Jessica Pegula (N.6) produced a ruthless 58-minute display on Thursday, dismantling her doubles partner McCartney Kessler 6-0, 6-2 to reach the Australian Open third round.
Jessica Pegula, 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewe
Jessica Pegula (No.6) produced a nearly flawless performance on Thursday morning, dismantling fellow American and doubles partner McCartney Kessler, World No.7, 6-0, 6-2 to reach the Australian Open third round.
The 58-minute masterclass on Rod Laver Arena saw Pegula dictate play from the first ball, winning the first eight games of the match before Kessler could register a mark on the scoreboard.
The matchup carried an extra layer of difficulty for both players, as they are competing together in the women’s doubles draw this fortnight. Just 24 hours earlier, the duo shared the court on the same side, falling in a competitive first-round doubles match to the fifth-seeded team of Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani. Pegula admitted to former world No. 9 Coco Vandeweghe after the match that it “sucked” to have to face her teammate so soon after their joint exit.
Pegula “super clean”
Despite the personal connection, Pegula was professional and efficient, describing the performance as one of those rare “perfect” days at a major. “I thought I played a very clean match, kind of executed exactly what I wanted to from the start,” Pegula said in her press conference. “Maybe I got a little help from her end, but at the same time, I was able to really just play a super-clean match and kind of do what I wanted to from start to finish. When those days come around, you take them and you run with them, because it doesn’t happen often.”
Pegula’s dominance was reflected in her statistical efficiency; she converted 6 of 9 break point opportunities and successfully neutralized Kessler’s aggressive baseline patterns. She was quick to praise her partner’s rise over the last season, noting that she was “happy to get through without a lot of drama” against such a “tricky competitor.”
The victory sets up a third-round encounter against the tournament’s standout giant-killer, Oksana Selekhmeteva. The world No. 101 advanced earlier in the day following her historic upset of former semifinalist Paula Badosa. For Pegula, the match will be a first career meeting against the Russian left-hander as she continues her quest to reach a maiden Australian Open semifinal.
