Alexandrova posts another Miami upset with victory over Pegula

No.14 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova

View Profile continued her superb run of form at the Miami Open, making the semifinals with a gritty 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 upset of No.5 seed Jessica Pegula

View Profile on Wednesday night at the WTA 1000 event.

Alexandrova tied her head-to-head against Pegula at 1-1 with the 1-hour and 58-minute quarterfinal victory. The 29-year-old Alexandrova also matched her career-best WTA 1000 performance with the come-from-behind win; she previously made the semifinals at WTA 1000 Madrid in 2022.

"It was extremely difficult for me because [Pegula] played amazing," Alexandrova said afterwards. "In the third set, there were sometimes the kind of rallies where I couldn’t understand how it was possible to return that ball, but it always [came] back.

"I just tried to play every single point [like] I knew she was going to be everywhere, so I need to do something, and I was trying to wait and use any opportunities that I got."

Consecutive stunners: By following up her seismic upset of World No.1 Iga Swiatek

View Profile in the previous round with another shocker over Pegula, Alexandrova defeated Top 5 players in back-to-back matches for the first time in her career.

World No.16 Alexandrova is just 6-17 overall against Top 5 opposition; however, half of those six wins have come in 2024. Along with her victories over Pegula and Swiatek this week, Alexandrova also defeated Elena Rybakina

View Profile in Adelaide, Australia in January.

Alexandrova attributed her recent success against Top 5 players to "trying to be more consistent on the baseline, not to rush things, and just play the points.

"Try to use the possibilities, and not be like, 'OK, like, it’s so easy, I’m just going to hit a winner right now, right from the first one.' You need to wait and wait and wait, and then something’s going to come and you need to use it. So I think it’s helping me right now."

Match breakdown: Pegula was nearly perfect behind her first delivery in the opening set, where she won 13 of her 14 first-serve points (92 percent). However, Alexandrova's power game clicked into gear in the second set, where she had 15 winners to Pegula's four.

In the decisive third set, Alexandrova double-faulted an early break away, putting the set at a 3-3 deadlock. However, Alexandrova took another opportunity two games later, moving ahead with aggressive returns and finishes in the forecourt to break Pegula for 5-4.

In the following game, Alexandrova converted her second match point to seal the comeback victory. This is the first time in her career that Alexandrova has defeated a Top 10 player after she lost the first set.

Semifinal lineup complete: Alexandrova, the last player into the final four, will face the last remaining American Danielle Collins

View Profile on Friday. Collins reached the semifinals with a straight-sets win over Caroline Garcia

View Profile earlier on Thursday.

It will be the first meeting between Alexandrova and former World No.7 Collins; the winner's reward will be a spot in their first WTA 1000 final.