The 28-year-old Frenchwoman is having a great summer.

Here she is two victories from a third trophy this season after those raised in June in Bad Homburg and in July in Warsaw, where she had in passing the scalp of the world N.1 Iga Swiatek.

Over the last ten weeks, she has accumulated 24 victories.

No one is currently doing better on the circuit.

Enough to reconnect with its best level, reached in 2017, when it had won two WTA 1000 in a row in Wuhan and Beijing, before reaching the semi-finals of the Masters in Singapore.

"I don't know if I play like a Top 10. I really don't care. I'm especially happy to be seeded for the US Open, just to practice on good courts" , smiled the one who will indeed return to the Top 30, before the Flushing Meadows meeting (August 29-September 11) where she never passed the 3rd round.

Coming from qualifying in Cincy, she was intractable against Pegula, winning 6-1, 7-5 in just 1h13.

As she had been against the world N.3 Maria Sakkari in the 2nd round and the Belgian Elise Mertens (33rd) in the 8th.

"Very solid"

Very aggressive, effective on the return (59% of points won), Garcia was impregnable in the first set, won in 28 minutes.

The second round was tighter.

In the 11th game, Garcia released powerful returns on second opposing balls, which caused Pegula to foul.

Break in hand, she then closed the deal on her serve.

"I played a very good match, very solid. I remained very aggressive from start to finish. Jess is a fighter. Some rallies were very fast, you had to be ready. I did things very well", she congratulated herself.

The French, who had not reached the last four of a WTA 1000 for four years (defeat in Madrid against Kiki Bertens), expects "a big challenge" against Aryna Sabalenka, who dismissed 6-4, 7 -6 (7/1) the Chinese Shuai Zhang (44th).

"She's a very aggressive player. We have a bit of the same weapon in our game. She's been in the top 10 for quite a while, she always does well in big events", deciphered the Frenchwoman, led two wins to one in their confrontations.

The other semi-final will oppose the American Madison Keys (24th) to the Czech Petra Kvitova (28th).

iron tusk

In men, Daniil Medvedev, winner in 2019, qualified, beating 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 the American Taylor Fritz (13th), who had triumphed at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells .

Deprived of Wimbledon because of his nationality, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world No.1 had made a successful comeback two weeks ago by winning in Los Cabos, but then fell to 8th in Montreal against Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Ten days before the US Open, where he will defend his title, the Russian is gaining momentum.

And that was seen against Fritz.

After first having to clear six break points, three of which were set points, thanks to his iron defense, he pocketed the first set in the tie-break.

In the second round, he redoubled his aggressiveness (18 aces, 30 winning moves).

Broken from the start, Fritz never knew how to get back into the game.

"I'm happy with my tennis. If I can keep playing this way and above all raise my level during the match, I can beat anyone," warned Medvedev.

He will find the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, against whom he leads 7 wins to 2, and who barely defeated 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3 the American John Isner (50th).

The other semi-final will oppose the surprising Croatian Borna Coric (152nd), scorer 6-4, 6-4 from Felix Auger-Aliassime, after having taken out Rafael Nadal in the 2nd round, to the Briton Cameron Norrie (11th) who came to the end 7 -6 (7/4), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 from Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (4th).

© 2022 AFP