No. 6 seed defeats Amanda Anisimova to reach her first semifinal at Melbourne Park after three previous QF losses
Jessica Pegula is finally here. The No. 6 seed just defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1) on Wednesday to advance to the Australian Open semifinals for the first time. After three previous losses in quarterfinals at Melbourne Park, Pegula broke through. This isn’t just another win. This is a breakthrough moment the kind that changes how you think about yourself as a player competing at the highest level.
Pegula was nearly perfect in the first set, absolutely dominating Anisimova and closing it out with an ace. The second set was a different story. It got tight. Anisimova fought back. The two traded breaks, and suddenly Pegula was down 5-3. From tournament-advancing position, she was suddenly staring down a third set she didn’t want to play. But this time, unlike those three previous Australian Open quarterfinals, Pegula found a way.
She fought back from 5-3 down to force a tiebreaker and then absolutely dismantled Anisimova 7-1 in the breaker. That tiebreaker wasn’t competitive. It was a statement. It was Pegula saying: I’m not going home today. This is my moment.
“I’ve been waiting for the time when I can kind of break through,” Pegula said afterward. That’s the summary of her Australian Open experience waiting, trying, coming up short, then finally getting over the hump. She’s been waiting for this. Now she’s here.
When American dominance extends beyond one match
Pegula’s path to the semifinals also tells a larger story about American women’s tennis dominance at this tournament. She beat Madison Keys, the defending Australian Open champion and another American, in her previous match to reach the quarterfinals. Then she beat Anisimova, another American, to reach the semis. That’s not coincidence. That’s dominance.
Pegula’s record against American opponents this season stands at 14-1 in her past 15 matches. Fourteen wins in fifteen matches against fellow Americans. That’s not just good. That’s elite-level dominance against domestic competition. When Pegula steps on the court against another American, the odds are overwhelmingly in her favor. She knows their games. They know hers. And she keeps finding ways to win.
The quarterfinal against Anisimova had special significance because Anisimova had been knocking on the door at majors. She was runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open in back-to-back years. She was one win away from a third consecutive major final appearance. Instead, Pegula stopped her. That’s the kind of win that defines semifinals you have to go through elite players to get there, and She did exactly that.
Rybakina dominates Swiatek in the other quarterfinal
While Pegula was battling Anisimova, Elena Rybakina was dismantling No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in the other quarterfinal at Rod Laver Arena. Rybakina was dominant. Swiatek, the world number two, looked outmatched. That tells you everything about the semifinal Pegula is about to face.
Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and is searching for her second major title. She is searching for her first. The head-to-head record is locked 3-3, so there’s no clear advantage historically. But Rybakina just absolutely dismantled a top-two player. That’s the level She will face on Thursday.
The Australian Open breakthrough that finally arrived
For Her, this semifinal appearance represents validation. Three previous quarterfinal losses at Melbourne Park had to sting. Three times she was one win away. Three times she came up short. Now she’s here. Now she’s one of the final four. Now she gets to compete for a Grand Slam title she’s never won.
The first set dominance, the second-set fight, the tiebreak masterclass that’s the complete Pegula performance. That’s why she’s here. That’s why she’ll face Rybakina on Thursday with genuine confidence. Pegula has finally broken through the Australian Open quarterfinal curse.
