Jessica Pegula Advances to Adelaide Semifinals After Opponent Retires

Top seed Jessica Pegula advanced to the Adelaide International semifinals after her quarterfinal opponent, Ashlyn Krueger, retired due to a right thigh injury. Pegula, ranked No. 7, was leading 6-4, 2-0 in the all-American clash when Krueger called for medical attention and subsequently withdrew from the match.

The victory marks Pegula’s first tournament of the 2025 Hologic WTA Tour season. She will now face Yulia Putintseva, who secured her semifinal spot after a grueling three-set victory over No. 6 seed Diana Shnaider. Putintseva, ranked a career-high No. 25, won 7-6(3), 6-7(9), 6-4 in a match filled with dramatic rallies and momentum shifts.

Krueger, who started her season with a strong quarterfinal run in Brisbane, had a quick turnaround to compete in Adelaide. After losing in the final round of qualifying, she entered the main draw as a lucky loser and made the most of her opportunity, defeating Top 20 players Marta Kostyuk and Paula Badosa in consecutive matches.

Pegula, who withdrew from Brisbane to prepare for the new season, has looked sharp in Adelaide despite recovering from a knee injury sustained at the WTA Finals in Riyadh last November. “I like being match-tough,” Pegula said before the tournament. “But at the same time, I know if I can just get a few matches, get that confidence, I can also do well without a lot of prep.”

In other matches, Liudmila Samsonova earned her first Top 10 win in over a year, defeating World No. 8 Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-4. Samsonova will face Madison Keys in the semifinals, who defeated No. 3 seed Daria Kasatkina. Pegula, a three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, is seeded No. 7 in Melbourne and will face Australian wild card Maya Joint in the first round.