Persistence pays off: Pegula overcomes Anisimova to secure maiden Melbourne semifinal
Jessica Pegula defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1) on Wednesday to reach her first-ever Australian Open semifinal. The No 6 seed set up a heavyweight final-four clash with Elena Rybakina.
Jessica Pegula, Australian Open 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Jessica Pegula defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1) in 97 minutes to finally break through the quarterfinal barrier at Melbourne Park. After years of knocking on the door of the final four in Australia, the 31-year-old American utilized her flat, consistent baseline game to outlast her younger compatriot.
The victory is particularly significant given the pedigree of her opponents this fortnight; having dispatched the defending champion in the previous round, Pegula has now knocked out the woman who reached both the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2025. This win marks Pegula’s third career Grand Slam semifinal and her second top 10 victory of the 2026 season.
Weathering the Emotional Storm
The match began with Pegula in total command, as she raced through the opening set 6-2 against an opponent who struggled to find any tactical flow. The 23-year-old Anisimova, despite her provisional ranking of world No 3 – which saw her surpass Coco Gauff this week – looked visibly emotional and erratic throughout much of the contest.
The second set, however, provided the “tense” drama expected of a top-tier quarterfinal. Anisimova managed to find her range briefly, moving ahead to a 5-3 lead and appearing poised to force a deciding set.
However, the consistency of the No 6 seed proved to be the undoing of the world No 4. Anisimova finished the match with a costly 44 unforced errors, often gift-wrapping points during critical baseline exchanges.
While Pegula stumbled slightly when serving for the match at 6-5, playing what she would likely consider a poor game to allow a break, she immediately reset for the tiebreak. In the pressure-cooker environment of the breaker, Pegula was flawless, reeling off seven points to one to secure her historic victory.
A Battle of the Outlasters Awaits
With this result, the bottom half of the draw sets up a fascinating semifinal between two of the tour’s most disciplined competitors. Pegula now turns her attention to the No 5 seed Elena Rybakina, who earlier in the day dismantled Iga Swiatek.
While Anisimova leaves Melbourne with a career-high ranking, this quarterfinal demonstrated that the elite stability of players like Pegula and Rybakina can still outlast the high-risk power of the new world No 3.
Pegula’s road to this point has been clinical, featuring straight-set victories over Madison Keys, Oksana Selekhmeteva, and McCartney Kessler. As she enters the final four without having dropped a set since the opening round, the American is playing with the quiet confidence of a veteran who knows her time has come. The semifinal will be a test of whether her counter-punching style can absorb the “easiest power” of Rybakina as she hunts for her first Major final.
