By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, January 17, 2025
Picture credit score: Cameron Spencer/Getty
This Australian Open is all about comings and goings.
World No. 55 Olga Danilovic delivered endurance and confirmed US Open finalist Jessica Pegula the door in a assured efficiency on Rod Laver Enviornment.
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The left-handed Danilovic run off 9 of the final 11 video games toppling the seventh-seeded Pegula 7-6(3), 6-1 to succeed in the Australian Open fourth spherical for the primary time.
“I’m tremendous pleased with the best way I performed, actually,” Danilovic stated. “I imply she’s on the highest of the world. She’s such a terrific participant. I knew I needed to have my A plus plus recreation to beat her.
“At the back of my thoughts I actually believed in myself, ? I got here onto this courtroom to get pleasure from myself. That is my first time on such an enormous courtroom, in Rod Laver Enviornment, so I imply I do not know what to say. I am so pleased at this second.”
Following Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic onto Rod Laver Enviornment, Danilovic unleashed Serbian celebration that had Djokovic himself applauding her.
A beaming Danilovic waved to screaming Serbian followers and put her hand over her coronary heart finishing her third profession High 10 victory.
It’s Danilovic’s first High 10 triumph since she defeated No. 10 Danielle Collins en path to the Roland Garros spherical of 16 final summer season. Pegula stated the left-hander’s exact serving and elevated aggression because the match progressed had been keys to her win.
“I imply, from 3-All within the tiebreaker, she performed some fairly good tennis,” Pegula informed the media in Melbourne. “Simply form of began going for her photographs I really feel like much more.
“Her serve proportion did not actually drop. Her stage, it simply bought higher. Possibly had possibilities in that first recreation she served — or second recreation she served within the second, however she hit a winner on each breakpoint alternative I had. So, yeah, credit score to her. She performed very well.”
The 23-year-old Danilovic is the primary Serbian girl to succeed in the Australian Open spherical of 16 since 2014 when former world No. 1 gamers Jelena Jankovic (fourth spherical) and Ana Ivanovic (quarterfinals) every did it.
Down 4-5 within the first set, Danilovic amped up her aggression. Deadlocked at 3-all within the tiebreaker, a decided Danilovic ran off 4 factors in a row seizing a one-set lead.
Danilovic dodged 4 break factors in an arduous third recreation holding for a 2-1 second-set lead.
A Pegula drive hit the online and sat up. Hustling ahead, Danilovic dabbed a reply and the American’s lob floated lengthy. Danilovic broke for a one-set, 3-1 lead.
The left-hander, who had been persistently sliding her serve huge on the advert facet, blended it up and pumped a serve down the T holding at love for 4-1.
Grand Slam king and Serbian compatriot Novak Djokovic was watching this match unfold from inside Rod Laver Enviornment and favored what he noticed as Danilovic broke once more for 5-1.
When the jumbo screens inside Rod Laver Enviornment confirmed Djokovic watching this match, Serbian followers started chanting “Nole! Nole!” in delight seeing his help.
The 5’11” Danilovic is the daughter of former Serbian basketball star Predrag Danilovic and confirmed aggressive composure at closing time.
Danilovic earned double match level at 40-15 serving for the fourth spherical. Pegula dug all the way down to deny each match factors and draw even at deuce.
Shrugging it off, Danilovic drilled an ace down the T for a 3rd match level.
Whipping one closing huge serve, Danilovic closed one of many greatest laborious courtroom wins of her profession then walked to the middle of the group and waved to the roaring crowd placing her hand over her coronary heart in a present of appreciation for the help.
“I am so proud,” Danilovic stated. “Twelve months in the past I used to be right here and I misplaced within the second spherical of qualies. These moments are so powerful. However I’ve a terrific group behind me. I’ve household that is all the time been supporting me. I believed in myself, I labored actually laborious and yeah, I am right here within the second week.”
Subsequent up for Danilovic is hard-hitting Spaniard Paula Badosa.
Danilovic has gained two of three conferences vs. Badosa. The winner of that match will advance to the quarterfinals towards both WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff or former Olympic gold-medal champion Belinda Bencic.
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