Jessica Pegula says what was ‘perfect’ in her first round win at the China Open against Diane Parry

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Jessica Pegula was pleased with her opening round performance at the China Open.

The 30-year-old played against Diane Parry in Beijing in what was her first match since losing the US Open final to Aryna Sabalenka.

The American came into the tournament as the second seed and Sabalenka as the top seed following the withdrawal of World number one Iga Swiatek.

Jessica Pegula was tested by Parry, who she was competing against for the very first time in her career. But the World number three overcame the challenge and booked her spot in the next round of the China Open.

How did Jessica Pegula assess her opening round win at the China Open?

Pegula wasted no time hitting her stride against Parry as she claimed the first set for the loss of just one game.

But the US Open runner-up did not have it all her own way in set two as Parry started serving better and opened up a 3-1 lead. But Pegula went on to level the match at 3-3, before winning the second set tie break and claiming a 6-1, 7-6(4) win.

During her on-court interview Pegula expressed her happiness with her performance but also praised Parry and how she made life difficult for her.

“She’s super tricky, I thought she started serving really well at the start of the second, so she was holding her serve a lot better and getting lots of free points,” she said.

“But I still thought I was playing really well. The first set I played perfect, second I knew maybe I would change, and she started finding her rhythm a little bit.

“She’s super tricky with her slice  and the way she plays, it’s a lot of patience and you really have to think out there, I’m happy I was able to get through that one.”

Who is Jessica Pegula’s next opponent?

Following a steady start to her Beijing Open campaign, Pegula will take on Veronika Kudermetova in the next round.

The Russian needed three sets to defeat Wang Xinyu in the previous round to confirm her clash with Pegula.

This will be a tricky clash for the American, who has lost both of her previous encounters against the Russian.

Their first meeting came in the Madrid Open quarter-finals in 2023, which Kudermetova claimed 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.

The pair’s last match took place in the Tokyo Open final, which Kudermetova won 7-5, 6-1 to win the second title of her career and a first on a hard court.