Around the grounds: Shnaider turns 22 as Pegula talks videogames
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Happy Birthday Diana Shnaider!
The now 22-year-old and World No. 19 on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz celebrated her day with 6-3, 6-0 win over Leylah Fernandez to reach the Charleston Open quarterfinals.
The greater festivities will have to wait as she's still in tournament mode -- Shnaider faces defending champion Jessica Pegula Friday -- but she did receive a strawberry shaved ice birthday treat on set at the Tennis Channel after her match.
Charleston typically falls in the lefty's birthday. Last year on her 21st birthday, she won her second round match vs. Polina Kudermetova. Now, Shnaider's reached the furthest round of any of her three appearances in the Lowcountry.
"Definitely it feels special, especially doing it on a Thursday," Shnaider said. "It kind of adds a little pressure because you don't want to do bad on your own birthday. If you lose, it still kind of like ruins your day just because -- it's, like, 'yeah, great.' -- you cannot go and celebrate when you lose a match, unfortunately.
"So it's definitely a little bit of pressure just because you want to win and you want to just finish the day on a good note. It's nice. It has pluses and minuses."
Plus, it was also fitting her coach Sascha Bajin made a quick cameo in the background of Shnaider's interview as his birthday surprise, and Shnaider made the on-air all the more worth watching, explaining how Bajin got the team briefly pulled over for speeding a few days ago.
Pegula takes on Mario Tennis
If you know Pegula, you might come to find she's a video game enthusiast.
She's also a big fan of Super Mario and the games in that Nintendo series. Recently, she collaborated with Nintendo to promote the newest Mario Tennis Fever game on the switch, and Pegula revealed how that came together.
"It was really cool. It just happened, I don't know, like a few months ago they asked me to be a part of it, and I'm a little bit of a gamer, so I think I was excited to like be involved in something that I grew up playing with," Pegula said.
Pegula's all-time favorite console is the Nintendo DS, but she enjoys playing the Switch because of how mobile it is to be seamlessly transported between the World No. 5's trips and tournaments. As for Mario Tennis, it might come as a surprise that she doesn't find herself as strong using the swing technique vs. controlling with buttons on the switch controller.
"I'm definitely much better with the controller than I am in the swing mode, which it's kind of like a Wii tennis situation," Pegula said. "Wasn't as good with the remote, which kind of doesn't make sense. You'd think I would be better. But I was much better with the controller.
"I mean, it's great. The thing is so small, and you can travel with it. I know some players actually travel with it, because you just hook it up really easy and play lots of fun games."
In the post, Pegula found herself playing as Princess Daisy, but in reality, she often selects Princess Peach in the Super Mario games such as Mario Kart.
There might also be a challenge on the table for Pegula, from her American counterpart on the men's tour, Taylor Fritz, who did a similar collaboration.
"I saw Taylor Fritz did the same kind of thing, and he already messaged me and said he would destroy me, and I was like, 'alright, calm down,'" Pegula laughed.
Pegula, who defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto Thursday, faces Shnaider on the first match at Stadium Court Friday. They meet for the third time on tour and first on clay-court.
"I think a lefty is always tricky, especially her," Pegula said. "I feel like she's crafty, but can also play pretty aggressive. And I think when she gets matches under her, too, she gets confident."