Pegula Bows Out Of Libema Open As De Minaur Moves To Quarter-Finals

Top seed Jessica Pegula was eliminated from the Libema Open following a three-set loss to Aleksandra Krunic in s'Hertogenbosch. The world number five was defeated 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 by the 2018 winner of the event, who secured her fifth career victory over a top-10 player and advanced to the quarter-finals.

Currently ranked 400th in the world, Krunic overcame an early break in the opening set to force a tie-break, winning five consecutive points to take the lead. The Serbian also nullified a break before another tie-break, but Pegula responded by winning five points in a row to level the match.

The American was competing in her first tournament since April, having missed the European clay-court season due to a rib injury. However, she squandered two break-point opportunities in the opening game of the deciding set. Krunic then broke in game three and held on for a notable victory.

A stunning performance! @KrunicAlex takes out the No.1 seed at the #LibemaOpen in a three set battle 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-4. pic.twitter.com/5cuFhZkCnm

— wta (@WTA) June 13, 2024

Later on, Alex de Minaur secured his place in the quarter-finals with a straight-sets victory over Zizou Bergs. The world number nine triumphed over the Belgian 7-5, 6-4, marking his first win on grass this year.

Bergs matched De Minaur in the initial exchanges, but the Australian eventually broke serve and won without dropping a point in the final game. De Minaur faced another challenging set as Bergs threatened to equalise, but he maintained his composure to finish the match decisively.

De Minaur will next face either Roberto Bautista Agut or Milos Raonic in the upcoming round.

Data Debrief: Krunic and De Minaur's Performances

Krunic has a special connection with s'Hertogenbosch, where she won her only career WTA title six years ago. The 31-year-old's victory here marks her first WTA quarter-final since 2022 and her first on grass since her 2018 triumph.

De Minaur impressed by winning 86 per cent of his first serve points against Bergs. Their encounter in s'Hertogenbosch was their first meeting, with De Minaur overcoming his recent quarter-final defeat to Alexander Zverev at the French Open.