Jessica Pegula defeated Madison Keys 7-6(5), 7-6(8) in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Tennis Open on June 19. The win advanced the world No. 4 to her fifth semifinal of the 2026 season.
Pegula completed the match in one hour and 46 minutes on grass. She overcame an early deficit in the first set and converted her first set point in the tiebreak. In the second set she built a 4-2 lead before Keys forced another tiebreak, which Pegula closed on her fourth match point.
After the victory Pegula said she adopts a relaxed approach on grass. “Sometimes on grass I’m not really aiming,” she stated. “It just goes wherever it wants to go. I think sometimes when you overthink and you try to aim too much, the grass can really kind of play you.”
The result improved Pegula’s head-to-head record against Keys to 3-2. She will next face either Aryna Sabalenka or qualifier Nikola Bartunkova for a place in the final.