Jasmine Paolini and Jessica Pegula Advance at Bad Homburg Open

BAD HOMBURG, Germany — Jasmine Paolini and Jessica Pegula both advanced to the quarterfinals at the Bad Homburg Open on Tuesday, showcasing their skills in very different matchups.

Paolini, the No. 2 seed, faced a tough challenge from Leylah Fernandez. The match featured two tiebreaks as Paolini saved five set points to secure a 7-6(8), 7-6(6) victory. The match lasted 2 hours and 32 minutes, making it one of the longest two-set matches of the season.

“It was a tough match, and I had to fight for every point,” Paolini said. “I’m just glad I managed to keep my focus and come out on top.”

Paolini built a 4-2 lead in the first set before Fernandez fought back, taking the lead and earning her first set point at 6-5. However, a remarkable running lob from Paolini saved it. Eventually, Paolini took the set in the tiebreak.

The second set saw Paolini take an early lead again, but Fernandez displayed increased aggression, leveling the match at 5-5 after staving off match points. Despite being pushed to the limit, Paolini won the final four points of the match.

Next, Paolini will face either No. 7 seed Elina Svitolina or Beatriz Haddad Maia.

In a contrasting performance, top seed Jessica Pegula defeated Katerina Siniakova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in just 66 minutes. Pegula dominated her service games, winning 84% of points on her first serve.

Pegula reflected on her game, saying, “I felt really good today. It was a solid performance, and I’m ready for the next round.”

She will face either No. 5 seed Emma Navarro or wild card Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals.