NEW YORK (Reuters) -Jessica Pegula’s strong serving and smothering defense led to a textbook 6-3 6-3 win over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the U.S. Open third round on Saturday, while Tommy Paul survived an early scare to beat Canadian qualifier Gabriel Diallo.
The sixth-seeded American Pegula, who struggled with injuries earlier in the year, produced her best form of the tournament so far, winning 89% of her first serve points, cracking 13 winners and breaking serve four times.
Pegula crushed a serve Bouzas Maneiro could not put back into play on match point to advance in 70 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
“I just played solid,” Pegula said in an on-court interview.
“I didn’t do anything crazy. I didn’t do anything bad or that amazing. I think I was just very consistent.
“Even when she got back into that second set, I was able to find some energy, get a hold and close it out pretty quick, so I’m proud of that.”
The unseeded Bouzas Maneiro struggled to match Pegula’s level in the contest and was hampered by six double faults and 29 unforced errors.
Pegula said she was forced make some quick adjustments against an opponent she had not seen before.
“You just have no idea how their ball is, how it comes off their racket, how it’s going to be playing on this court, especially with the roof closed,” she said.
“We didn’t warm up with the roof closed either, so there are a lot of variables that you aren’t so sure about. At the beginning I was trying to feel it out and I was able to get some rhythm.”
Pegula, 30, missed this year’s French Open to recover from injuries and after suffering an early exit at Wimbledon, she triumphed at this month’s Canadian Open.
The Buffalo, New York native has said she would relish winning her first Grand Slam on home soil and opted not to compete in doubles at Flushing Meadows this year to focus on her singles game.
She has flashed an improved serve and speedy defense through her first three matches and will next face either Diana Shnaider.
Paul overcame a rocky start to take down Diallo 6-7(5) 6-3 6-1 7-6(3) and set up a meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner.
Paul traded breaks with his 143rd-ranked opponent three times in a chaotic opening set, before Diallo clinched set point with an unreturnable serve. Paul cleaned up every aspect of his game in the next set, breaking the Canadian in the second game with a forehand winner.
Paul extinguished Diallo’s lone break point chance of the third set and closed it out with another forehand winner on the third match point.
“He was all over my serve,” said Paul, who is part of an American cohort eager to end a 21-year U.S. men’s major drought. “He returned a lot better than I thought he was going to.”
Paul is joined in the fourth round by compatriots Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima and Taylor Fritz.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles and Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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