Pegula and Paul Advance to Adelaide Semi-Finals

Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul have advanced to the semi-finals of the Adelaide International, staying on track for the Australian Open.

Top seeds Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul have advanced to the Adelaide International semi-finals with convincing straight-set wins. Pegula, 30, and Paul, 27, are gearing up for the Australian Open and showed impressive form in their quarter-final matches.

Pegula easily defeated her American counterpart Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 2-0, as Krueger was forced to retire due to fatigue. Meanwhile, Paul also secured a spot in the semi-finals with a dominant performance. The American duo's impressive wins demonstrate their readiness for the upcoming Australian Open.

Ashleigh Barty's Australian Open preparations were cut short when her opponent, American Ashley Krueger, was forced to retire due to exhaustion. Krueger, a lucky loser from qualifying, had played nine matches over the past 12 days in Brisbane and Adelaide, taking a toll on her physical condition.

World number seven Jessica Pegula, who played doubles with Krueger earlier in the week, was aware of her partner's fatigue. Despite Krueger's exhaustion, Pegula acknowledged that she was still playing impressive tennis. “It's never fun to win with a retirement,” said the 30-year-old. “I knew she had a tough singles yesterday. But coming out you never know what to expect, she was still playing amazing tennis.”

Jessica Pegula's next challenge in the Adelaide International will come in the form of Yulia Putintseva, who secured her spot in the semi-finals with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 victory over world number 13 Diana Shnaider. The match lasted over three hours, showcasing Putintseva's determination and endurance.

In another upset, Russia's Liudmila Samsonova earned her first top-10 win in over a year by defeating world number eight and second seed Emma Navarro, 6-4, 6-4. Samsonova will face Madison Keys in the semi-finals, after the American ousted third seed Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3.

In the men's draw, Tommy Paul replicated his semi-final appearance in Adelaide from 2020 with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Australian Rinky Hijikata. Paul will now face Canadian fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who advanced to the semi-finals with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over American Marcos Giron.

American Tommy Paul is seeking his fifth ATP Tour title and is pleased to have more time on court to prepare. Paul's next match will be a significant one, and he's looking forward to the challenge. "That's a big match,” said Paul. “The more time on court the better for me.”

In other quarter-final action, Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic secured a spot in the last four with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 win over French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi. Kecmanovic's reward is a semi-final clash with American second seed Sebastian Korda, who advanced to the next round after Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis withdrew due to injury, giving Korda a walkover.