The last eight women standing at the WTA Cincinnati Masters are not the usual suspects. But that is perhaps what a five-month long hiatus brought about by a global pandemic brings. But despite a host of upsets earlier in the week, there is no shortage of intrigue in the four quarterfinal matches. The question now is: who will book their place in the semifinals?<\/p>\n
Head-to-head: <\/strong>first meeting<\/p>\n Jessica Pegula, who started her week in the qualifying, has certainly spent plenty of time on court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But that seems to have sharpened her focus, with the American playing an aggressive game to master the fast courts. Hitting with measured precision, Pegula has struck 159 winners in five matches this week. But she hasn\u2019t yet faced a player of Elise Mertens\u2019 quality.<\/p>\n The Belgian\u2019s return to action in Palermo went poorly as she lost in the first round, but she bounced back with a run to the final in Prague and has impressed so far at the WTA Cincinnati Masters. In the first round, she dismissed Rebecca Peterson 6-0 6-2, before battling past Kristina Mladenovic 6-1 6-7 6-3. Then, in the third round, she overwhelmed Veronika Kudermetova, 6-2 6-3. She does not look likely to bow out just yet. But expect this match to go the distance.<\/p>\n Prediction: Mertens in 3
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