INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Forty-four minutes into her BNP Paribas Open round of 16 match versus 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic, fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula did something versus her opponent that in four previous matches she’d never done: She won a set, taking the opener, 6-3.
One hour and four minutes later, having overcome a 2-0 deficit in the second set and failed to close out the match at 5-4, Pegula had at last earned her first victory over Bencic, 6-3, 7-6 (5), and reached the quarterfinals here for the second time (previously she’d gone that far when, due to COVID-related concerns and scheduling complications in pro tennis, the tournament was played in the fall of 2021).
“Really happy with today, being able to turn around my pretty poor record against Belinda,” said Pegula. “So, you know, when you’re able to figure that out and get over that hump, it’s always a good feeling.”
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Pegula and Bencic both build their victories with precision — crisp and predominantly flat drives struck early and either sharp crosscourt or laced down-the-line. But the venue’s mix of thin air, a slow court, and this afternoon’s mildly blustery conditions and a temperature north of 80 degrees made laser-like calibration a complicated matter. Bluntly speaking: Balls fly. Then they slow down.
