TORONTO — Jessica Pegula isn’t playing at home tomorrow, but the reigning Canadian Open champion is expecting to have the support of the crowd as she attempts to defend her title while going head-to-head with another American.
And yes, the daughter of Kim and Terry Pegula, owners of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, is expecting her family’s business will play a role in that support.
“I’m sure there will be some ‘Go Bills’ people yelling, there always is, especially here,” said a smiling Pegula, who’s ranked No. 6 in the world. “So, yeah, I think maybe I’ll be a little bit of the home crowd favourite, which will be fun considering I’m not exactly from here, but I’m very close, so it’s cool to get that support in a different country.”
The 30-year-old Buffalo native will be up against a fellow New Yorker in 22-year-old Amanda Anisimova from New Jersey, who’s playing in her debut Masters 1000 final.
Pegula, the tournament’s third seed, earned her way there Sunday night with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Russia’s Diana Shnaider, and after winning match point on a long rally, she looked into the crowd straight-faced and pumped a fist.
In the very early stages of the match on a very windy night on court, Schnaider, the 20-year-old who upset top-seeded Coco Gauff in Round 3, looked solid, winning her first opportunity at break point with a cross-court forehand winner to go up 2-0.
But Pegula broke Schnaider right back, and she did it again to go up 4-3 in the opening set. After Schneider gave up that second break point, sending a backhand into the net, she smacked her racquet into the court in frustration, while Pegula yelled “Let’s go!” and pumped a fist.
“I thought I played really smart,” Pegula said, when it was over. “I felt I kind of adjusted my game plan a couple games in because I felt like what I thought going in wasn’t going to work, so I had to adapt a little bit, but I’m proud that I was able to figure that out.”
In the second set, the players were on serve until Pegula earned another break point and Schnaider double-faulted to put Pegula up 4-3, and the American never looked back.
“I thought I played better today maybe than the last few matches,” Pegula said. “The conditions were still really tough, and then playing a lefty is very tricky, and also someone that I never played or practiced with, so I had no idea what to expect.”
On Monday, Pegula has a much better idea of what to expect, having faced Anisimova earlier this year in Charleston. That match came down to a third set tie-breaker, which Pegula won.
Earlier Sunday, Anisimova — the world No. 123 who took a break from the game last season due to burnout, and is climbing her way back up the world ranking — beat fellow American Emma Navarro in a three-setter to earn her way to the final.
“I think everyone knows she’s a threat every time she steps on court,” Pegula said. “She’s probably one of the biggest, cleanest ball strikers I’ve ever played against, so when she’s on it can be really, really tough.
“[Monday] definitely is going to be a battle, and I’m going to have to do my best to just make her play a lot of extra balls, and try to be aggressive when I can, because when she’s on she can hit a lot of winners and take the racquet out of your hand sometimes, so I’m going to have to be smart.”
Pegula is looking for a sixth career title, and to defend the championship she won last year in Montreal. A title defence hasn’t happened at this tournament in more than 20 years — Martina Hingis was the last to do it, winning in both 1999 and 2000. And all four years prior to Hingis’ streak, the Canadian tournament was won by the great Monica Seles.
“It’s amazing being able to come back, and I’ve always had good results here, but to know I have good results here and then also come back and make another final is really cool,” Pegula said. “I think it’s cool to have my name with a lot of other really big names in history that have either played well here or been able to defend the title as well, so it’s super special.”
And while it may not be a home match for Pegula, it’s pretty darn close — and it might just feel like one.