BY JAMES BECK
CHARLESTON, S.C. – How did Jessie Pegula do it?
Win six straight games after losing 10 consecutive games, that’s all.
That’s what No. 1 seeds do, right?
Not too often.
PEGULA PULLED A MIRACLE
But that’s what the top-seeded Pegula did Friday afternoon to hand Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 setback in the Charleston Open.
“Both sides, both of us . . . for me to be up 4-0 (in the second set) and (her) win it. And then me coming back (from 4-0 down in the third set). That’s tennis,” Pegula said.
“She’s a great player. I know she likes clay. I was prepared for a tough match. I didn’t think it was going to be swinging back and forth like that.”
‘IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL IT’S OVER’
Pegula’s collapse in the second set after charging out to a set and a 4-0 advantage came after “we switched balls. I was off a little bit. I played two sloppy games, and she was swinging because she was down 4-0. Like ‘What does it matter to me?’ That happens a lot,” Pegula said.
“I’ve had some crazy matches this year. It’s not over until it’s over. But it (the match) just swings back and forth. It was definitely insane.
“It seems like every tournament I’m playing one crazy match. So far, I’m coming out on the winning side.”
That’s obvious from her world’s No. 3 ranking.
“I told myself, (when she was behind 4-0 in the third set), ‘All I need is one game, maybe a double fault.’ And she did. I got up to 4-1, then I said, ‘I’ve got to hold’ . . . and I did. Then I actually started playing pretty well.”
PEGULA LOOKING LIKE A STAR
The 29-year-old Pegula is looking more and more like she belongs at or near the top of the WTA Tour. She’s usually incredibly consistent, although she also can play an aggressive style of tennis with her solid athletic ability.
The daughter of Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula trained in Charleston for a couple of years in her early years as a pro. She also spent much of her younger years training at Hilton Head Island.
ROGERS’ GOOD LUCK ENDS
Pegula’s rally against Begu was similar to Charleston’s Shelby Rogers rally from a set and a 5-3 deficit in the second set to even nearly a three-hour second-round match against Caty McNally on Wednesday night. Rogers then extended her streak to six games with a 2-0 start in the third set to set the stage for a 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 victory before a late-night crowd of Rogers fans.
Rogers had the tables turned Thursday night after taking the first set from defending champion Belinda Bencic, only to struggle in the third set probably due to Rogers’ long, late-night finish against McNally. Playing her third straight three-set match, Rogers suffered a 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 loss to Bencic, who advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals.
Bencic displayed a crafty, smooth game on the green clay, mixing in a serve that hit most of the spots. Switzerland’s latest Swiss Miss (remember Martina Hingis?) played smart and almost flawless tennis after losing the first set.
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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award as the tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspapers. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
