Pegula conquers 'mini-me' in Jovic, faces Tauson in Dubai quarterfinals

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- After her second-round win over Varvara Gracheva, Jessica Pegula said that playing Iva Jovic was in some ways a "mini-me."

"I think it's going to be a tough match for me. Iva, we've never played, but I feel like she kind of plays like a mini-me, so it's going to be tough," Pegula said to wtatennis.com Tuesday. "[Iva's] going to have nothing to lose, and she's been really hot, beating and winning a lot of matches this year."

Coincidentally, Jovic was Pegula's guest on their recent Player's Box podcast episode -- filmed before Dubai -- and in one of their questions to Jovic, they asked her what player did she learn the most from growing up. Jovic answered with Pegula.

In their third round match at the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the experienced Pegula had the upper hand in a 6-4, 6-2 win over the up-and-coming Jovic in their first meeting on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. Pegula advances to face Clara Tauson in the quarterfinals, who defeated Magda Linette 6-4, 6-2.

"The way that she plays, I definitely see some similarities," Pegula said to press Wednesday. "She tries to take the ball early, she tries to return really hard and through the middle. I think she likes to change the direction of the ball very well, especially off of her backhand."

After securing a pivotal break in the first set to take a 4-3 lead, Pegula dominated from there, maintaining a strong service game -- she landed 98% of her first serves and recorded five aces. Pegula was not broken in the match, and among her aces, she took advantage of Jovic's wingspan, sending some curling serves that Jovic could not reach. 

Similarly, Jovic also showcased a solid serving game with an identical 98% of first serves landing. The difference came on the return, where Pegula capitalized late in the first set and well into the second. Initially, Pegula struggled with a few mishits or unforced errors down the line or with too much power, but she ultimately won 41% receiving points compared to Jovic's 23%. 

"Her serve, honestly, is pretty good," Pegula said. "I think it's gotten a lot better, even from last year when I hit with her a few times or when I played her doubles as well. I see her making a lot of improvements."

"She's definitely a little bit more intense than I am. She seems so focused and very routined in what she does, and I'm probably maybe a little bit different in that. I can definitely see where changing the direction of the ball and taking it early is definitely -- she's not the only one that does it, but since she said she modeled that after me -- I can definitely see that resemblance."

On the first break in the match at 4-3 in the first set, Pegula hit a winner that narrowly clipped the sideline, much to the disbelief of Jovic, who could only watch the hawk-eye system show the ball's trajectory. The two traded holds in the final two games as Pegula closed the tight first set in 45 minutes.

Despite a Jovic hold to begin the second set, Pegula went on a tear, taking the next five games. Trailing 3-1, 0-40, Jovic fought back to force a deuce and save three break points, but Pegula's backhand winner a couple shots later, scored the next break and solidified a lead Jovic could not overcome. 

Similar to the matchup with Jovic, Pegula and Tauson will meet for the first time in singles on the WTA Tour on Thursday. 

"I've never played her either, kind of a similar situation where -- I actually don't even think I even practiced with her, so I really, I don't remember. We played doubles, maybe a long, long time ago. It's hard to remember her ball, and I know she serves very well. She's a tall girl. It's a big ball. I know she plays very well here and can be a very powerful player."