---
title: "Jessica Pegula beats Amanda Anisimova Cincinnati Open quarter-final; Pegula leads head-to-head 6-0"
sdDatePublished: "2026-08-22T02:07:00Z"
source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/cincinnati-open-2026-jessica-pegula-past-amanda-anisimova-thrilling-all-american-quarter-final"
topics:
  - name: "tennis"
    identifier: "medtop:20001085"
  - name: "sport event"
    identifier: "medtop:20001108"
  - name: "sport achievement"
    identifier: "medtop:20001301"
  - name: "sport"
    identifier: "medtop:15000000"
locations:
  - "New Jersey"
  - "Buffalo"
  - "Cincinnati"
  - "United States"
---


Jessica Pegula beats Amanda Anisimova Cincinnati Open quarter-final; Pegula leads head-to-head 6-0

Cincinnati Open 2026: Jessica Pegula powers past Amanda Anisimova in thrilling all-American quarter-final

Cincinnati Open 2026: Jessica Pegula powers past Amanda Anisimova in thrilling all-American quarter-final

The world No. 3 emerged victorious in quarter-final clash between two home favourites that lived up to the hype on Thursday, 20 August, while world No. 2 Elena Rybakina retired against Iga Świątek.

U.S. tennis star Jessica Pegula is through to the women’s singles semi-finals at the 2026 Cincinnati Open , overcoming a determined Amanda Anisimova in three sets, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(4), during a hotly anticipated quarter-final showdown on Thursday (20 August).

Anisimova, the No. 6 seed, played a strong match from the outset, winning more first-serve points and converting all five break points she earned. But Pegula, the No. 3 seed, refused to bow out of the draw without contest.

Fighting back from a difficult second set, which saw Anisimova break the Grand Slam finalist three times, with Pegula also needing an off-court medical timeout at 0-3, the 32-year-old from Buffalo, New York rebounded with poise and determination of her own in the third set.

She broke Anisimova twice to begin the set on a high note, with victory now seemingly within grasp once more. But the 24-year-old from Freehold Township, New Jersey still had some fight left to give, breaking twice in return to even the score at 5-5.

After trading service games, Pegula broke her young domestic rival three times to seal the tiebreak, set and match. She’s now beaten Anisimova in every match they’ve played, leading their head-to-head record 6-0.

“Amanda is an amazing player, an amazing ball-striker,” Pegula said during her on-court interview after the sizzling quarter-finals showdown. “I know that I have a good record against her, but literally every single match is pretty much like it was today.

“I know that I have to ‘try and survive’, sometimes she can play lights-out tennis where there’s not much you can do, like in the second set, but I think I was able to start getting some momentum at the end of that set, and then take it into the third and kind of get ahead.”

Seeking her first coronation in the Queen City, Pegula will face six-time Grand Slam singles champion Iga Świątek in the semi-finals on Saturday, 22 August.

The Polish star prevailed 4-1 ret. after the retirement of Australian Open winner Elena Rybakina , who would have reached world No. 1 had she reached the Cincinnati final. Now the question is whether she will be fit for the US Open, which starts on 24 August with the mixed doubles championship.

“Of course I feel not the greatest,” Rybakina said after the match. “It’s painful to walk. We’ll know more tomorrow when we have the MRI. It’s been bothering me for a long period of time but felt like I had it under control...Unfortunately one wrong movement and something happened.”

Cincinnati Open 2026: Order of play, all results and scores - Full list

Tennis | Cincinnati Open | United States